Starlight in Our Souls
by Kathryn Hart
Summary: Sequel to "The Companion Project". After the Doctor's friends brought Rose and Jenny back, the Doctor feels the happiest he's been. But Rose continues to struggle with the events surrounding her and the Metacrisis in the parallel world. One day Jenny is kidnapped, and it's a race against time to save her before it's too late. Rated T for dark themes Hurt/Comfort/Romance/Angst/Drama
1. Prologue - What Could Have Been

***Starlight in Our Souls***

_**Last time on "The Companion Project":**_

_ Jack: "What if we got all the Doctor's former companions together in one place, to thank him for all the good he's done?"_

_ Martha: "Amy and Rory Pond, welcome to 2013."_

_ Jack: "River, I'm not going to give this up because you have this preconceived notion of what love is!"_

_ Rose: "I think one of the side effects of the Bad Wolf is not aging. I was also shot by a Galravian poison bullet. When I woke up, I was fine, but John was dying."_

_Rose: "I love you too John. And...I'm sorry, y'know, for what I let happen to Char-..." _

_ Image of John: "It wasn't your fault my beautiful girl." _

_ Rose: "I think you're going to be quite alright, Donna Noble."_

_ The Doctor: "Jenny, I thought you were dead, I saw you die!"  
Jenny: "Turns out I have a few tricks up my sleeve too. Utah, 2012, really?"_

_ Rose: "You don't have to love me you know, just because you feel guilty about what happened to me. You've been with River for so many years, you like strong women, you always have. I'm not like that. When I give my heart, I give it all."  
The Doctor: "Rose, it's true, I did...maybe I still do love River. She was a big part of my life. But if she can realise that she can make her own choices and not fall in love to keep our time lines intact, then I can too. And you know what? You'll always be my choice. Not because I feel guilty, but because I feel like the best man I can be when you're by my side. I always want to feel like that, and I never want it to end." _

_ The Doctor: "Jack, this is the time and the place that River dies."  
Jack: "Why are you telling me this?"  
The Doctor: "So you can take her place."_

_ The Doctor: "I don't ever plan on abandoning her. No, she won't be able to get rid of me now. The biggest mistake of my life was leaving her and I won't be doing it again, not ever."_

* * *

_** Summary: The Doctor feels the happiest he's been in a long time. His friends had brought his dearest companions back to him, whether they were trapped in the past, had their memories erased, or were stuck in an alternate universe. And now he travels with his daughter and the love of his life. Rose continues to struggle with what happened to her and John in the parallel universe, going so far as to hide things from the man she's sure she still loves. One day Jenny is kidnapped, and it's up to the Doctor and Rose to save her...before it's too late. Will their actions do more harm than good? Sequel to The Companion Project. Eleven/Rose, Jenny/?  
**_

_**Rating: T for dark themes, violence, character death, language and sensual themes. **__**Warning: One of the main themes is struggling with the after-effects of miscarriage. If it bothers you, you might want to skip this story.**_

* * *

**Prologue – What Could Have Been**

"_So long as we are loved by others I should say that we are nearly indispensable; and no man is useless when he has a friend." ~Robert Louis Stevenson_

One month ago, the TARDIS had been the fullest it had ever been, filled with nine of the Doctor's friends. Ian and Barbara Chesterton, Luke Smith, Clyde Granger, Rani Chandra, Sally Sparrow, Grace Galloway, and finally, his long-lost daughter Jenny, and Rose Tyler, the woman he promised never to leave behind again.

Their first trip had been to the underwater planet of Gallegos. It was entertaining at first, until the globe in the citadel sprung a leak and they were pitted in a race against time not to drown. After that Ian and Barbara had asked to go home. Although they still looked the same as they did back when the Doctor first met them, they still felt old and felt that they should return to their lives. The Doctor dropped them off and bade them farewell with a single tear in his green eyes.

The next stop had been to 1943 for a concert of the big band status, Glenn Miller to be exact. Rose grinned knowingly and gave him a peck on the cheek for being such a romantic. He replied that she made him that way.

Luke and his friends were not overjoyed at hearing what type of music it was, as typical teenagers assume, but were disproved by having a blast. Especially when the conductor turned out to be a murderous shape shifter. Finding the real Glenn Miller had been a challenge in itself, but the extraordinary man was so impressed by Rose's ingenuity in saving his life that he declared their band would do a special rendition of a song specifically for her. _Stardust_ (originally written in 1927) with a brand new arrangement, came out later that year.

_"Beside a garden wall_  
_ When stars are bright_  
_ You are in my arms_  
_ The nightingale tells his fairy tale_  
_ A paradise where roses bloom_  
_ Though I dream in vain_  
_ In my heart it will remain_  
_ My stardust melody_  
_ The memory of love's refrain"_

After that particular adventure Rani's mum called and the three teens decided to return home. Sally and Grace lasted a few more trips before they bade their farewells as well. Sally returned to her family: Larry and their little daughter Martha. Grace returned to her job at the hospital, still searching for Mr. Right. After all, her stakes had been raised pretty high.

* * *

After Grace had left, Rose came up to the Doctor and put her hands on his shoulders, looking deep into his eyes.

"You always act like the loneliest man in the universe when the fact is, it's just the opposite." The Doctor's eyes immediately moistened.

"Sarah said something like that once to me, a long time ago." Rose right off noticed the distress in his eyes and quickly embraced the Time Lord. The Doctor held her tightly to himself and closed his eyes, breathing in the scent he never thought he'd be able to experience again. Even though Jack, Martha and River Song had given him an enormous gift, the best one in the universe in fact, he still missed the woman who couldn't be there, who had known more regenerations of him than anyone else, who had been just one year too soon gone.

The Doctor let it all go with a single thought. He picked Rose up and swung her around. She let out a shout of surprise before bursting into giggles. Once they had stopped spinning they suddenly found themselves lost in each others' eyes, unable to move. It was Jenny who broke the silence.

"Yeah, I miss some of those familiar faces already. Hey I got it, let's visit uncle Jack!" The Doctor spluttered at her statement.

"I have no relation whatsoever to that...that man!" he sounded completely horrified at the subject. Rose giggled at the look on his face.

"I meant in relation to Rose, not you." Rose's laughter immediately died and she found she suddenly couldn't talk. The Doctor spoke for her.

"You _do_ know Jack's not really her brother." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Well, duh." her tone made her sound like a rebellious teenager. "It's just, Uncle Jack is always saying how Rose is the little sister he never had." Not realising the significance of what Jenny was implying, the Doctor returned to flying the TARDIS. Rose however, had been deeply affected by what the Doctor's daughter had said. She came up to the young blonde, smiling through tears, startling Jenny. Rose put her hands on the sides of her face.

"Thank you." Rose said earnestly, before releasing her and departing down the stairs to her room. After she had left Jenny turned to her father.

"What's up with her?"

"Don't worry, I'm on it." He was already walking down the steps after her.

"Dad!" Jenny stopped him. The Doctor turned back to her. "It's not about John. This is something else." The Doctor nodded in understanding, before taking off down the hallway after Rose. Jenny turned back to the console as the Doctor's thud of his boots echoed until it faded away. "Do you know what's wrong with her?" She asked the sentient ship. All she got was a rumble in reply. The Doctor told her it would take a little time to understand the signals the TARDIS gave. Jenny sighed, running her hand along the console behind her. She didn't think her awe of the TARDIS would ever fade. At that thought the TARDIS gave out another rumble, one that Jenny did understand. She smiled.

"Thanks."

* * *

It was nearly an hour until Jenny heard her father coming back into the console room. She gave him a questioning look, knowing she wouldn't have to say a word. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"You don't tell anyone, alright?"

"Of course." He waited at least a minute before he spoke.

"You know the story how John and Rose never had kids?"

"Yeah, you told me."

_ "We weren't compatible enough I guess. Either he was too time lord or I was too Bad Wolf. Either way, nothing worked. We were happy, that's the most important thing."_

"What does that have to do with it?" He paused again. This was almost as difficult for him as it was for Rose, Jenny suspected.

"She just told me that was a lie."

"What?" She wasn't expecting that. The Doctor turned away from her and faced the console, leaning onto it and looking up into the time rotor. Hearing Rose declare that she had lied to him wasn't half as painful as hearing the truth from her lips, before she dissolved into a mess of tears.

"She was pregnant when John died."

"What happened?" She was almost afraid to ask.

"She lost the baby due to chronic depression. Her friends and coworkers blamed her, saying she should have thought about the baby and not herself." Jenny was indignant.

"Well, that, that's just not fair! No one knew what she had to go through, just how much she had lost!" The Doctor nodded.

"She...she..." A single tear ran down his cheek and Jenny knew this was the worst. "She nearly took her own life." Jenny gasped. "Thankfully, her family never judged her and they helped her through it. She got a lot better after that, but she still has low points."

"And when I referred that she was related to me..."

"It reminded her of the child she lost and the fact that she most likely can't have children ever again because of the miscarriage. And it was a girl." he sniffed again. "They were going to call her Charity, a symbol of the greatest love in the universe." Jenny raced up and embraced her father.

"Should I go see her?"

"No, no." He spoke into her shoulder. "She just needs some time alone right now." Jenny released him and she nodded.

"Okay. Well, goodnight dad." The Doctor smiled sadly at her as she departed down the stairs and went down the hallway. Rose's room was on the way to Jenny's room, so when Jenny reached Rose's door, she hesitated. Raising a hand, she nearly knocked. She shook her head and changed her mind, racing off to her room. But as she reached the door to her own room, she suddenly had a brilliant idea. She took off farther down the hallway.

* * *

The Doctor had a restless night. He kept thinking about the situation with Rose and what he could have done to prevent her pain. He knew he needed to let it go, as Rose had told him she had been perfectly happy in the little time she had with John, and she wouldn't have asked for anything more. Amazingly, she wasn't mad at him for leaving her behind without a choice; she actually appreciated the few years of as close to a normal life as she could get with the man she loved.

Nevertheless, when morning finally came and he knew she would soon be waking up, he went to see her. He knocked on her door and heard a sniffle from inside. With a sigh he entered.

"Rose," he implored.

"I know, I know." She was sitting on her bed, hastily wiping the tears from her eyes. "This is the last time, I swear." The Doctor came up and sat on the bed facing her.

"It kills me to see you cry you know. It makes me feel helpless." Rose reached out and grabbed his hands with her own.

"You're not helpless. You've helped me more than I ever could on my own. I know it's been three years and I thought I was doing better. But seeing her, your daughter, just brings it all back." She closed her eyes and the Doctor knew she was thinking of Charity. He got an idea, something he'd never done before. Placing his fingers on his temples, he took their minds to glimpse at another universe. It sounded impossible, but in reality they weren't even crossing the boundary between universes, merely bouncing off it with brief glimpses at the other side.

Rose gasped as she saw images inside her head. They saw a cute little apartment where a very familiar-looking man and woman lived. The image of John looking so young and healthy made her heart ache with longing. The years passed in a blur, starting first with the alternate Rose pregnant, then the two of them holding their newborn girl, and the Doctor and Rose watched as Charity grew up with dark brown hair and ice blue eyes. They continued to watch as she matured into a beautiful woman.

Then sadly they noticed John begin to age while Rose and Charity stayed the same. The last image was the alternate Rose and Charity embracing each other over John's grave. The Doctor released her temple and the images faded away.

"I would have lost him anyway, but I would always have her." The Doctor nodded.

"That was another universe where John never died and Jack never contacted you."

"They really are together forever then." Seeming to get her closure, she wiped the last of the tears from her eyes. "Y'know, I'm glad Jack got a hold of me, otherwise I wouldn't be with you now." The Doctor smiled.

"Really?" Rose grinned back.

"Yeah." At the same they leaned in towards each other. Rose's lips were slightly salty from her tears but the Doctor thought she had never tasted so good. His fingers caressed the sides of her face as his lips slowly pressed against hers. She opened her mouth and he gladly entered. Fingers fiddled with buttons and zippers until soon nothing stood between them. In a swift move his hands gripped her and lowered her flat onto the mattress below them. He leaned over her and waited for her assent. With a nod, he continued. Rose decided not to feel guilty. After all, she knew in her heart that John would want her to be happy, especially with the Doctor.

* * *

Seventeen minutes later (and thirty-eight seconds, yes he counted) they heard a shout and someone racing down the hall towards Rose's room. Jenny didn't even knock as she entered. Her eyes grew wide, seeing her dad with Rose on the bed as they hurried to cover their bodies with blankets. Finally she laughed, not seeming to care.

"Dad, you've got to see this!"

"Can it wait?" He asked with an exasperated tone, pulling the duvet further up over Rose. She shook her head eagerly. The Doctor sighed and grabbed his pants up off the floor. Jenny continued to speak as he pulled them on.

"I was thinking a lot last night, I've never done a DNA test on myself. I never had the equipment and I just assumed I was human and part time lord." She rocked impatiently on the back of her heels. Unable to take it any longer, she took off down the hallway. The Doctor sighed again in an exaggerated tone. Having an energetic daughter seemed to age him. Rose laughed at the expression on his face.

"You better see what she wants or she'll be back here soon."

"Mmm." He looked at her hungrily. "We wouldn't want that now, would we?" he leaned over her and kissed her again. Rose groaned, not wanting to pull away, but she did, giggling at his scowl. "Whose bright idea was it to invite my daughter on board?"

"Yours as I recall." She giggled again and the Doctor joined in with her.

"Stay here, it's probably nothing." He grabbed his shirt and left for the Med Bay.

"Took you long enough." Jenny said as he entered.

"Well, you pulled me away from some very important work."

"Yeah," she didn't believe him. "and how was that going?" The Doctor 'tutted' at her.

"You're way too young to know of such things."

"I'm six years old!" She retorted with a grin. The Doctor smiled back and ruffled her hair, which was let out of her normal pony tail and slightly wet from the shower she had taken earlier.

"Alright, now show me what you found." Jenny pulled a screen over for him to see.

"First, I took a blood sample and it showed what I initially thought I was, what you thought I was." She hit a few buttons on the keyboard. The blood sample zoomed in until they could see her DNA. The Doctor nodded, already expecting this.

"Human with a strand of TNA. So?" She hit one more button and it zoomed into the time lord strand. Instead of three regular strands, two of them were normal, but one of them was shining gold.

"What the hell is that?" The Doctor took over the keyboard to make it rotate so he could see it from all sides.

"The time vortex with a specific identification." The Doctor turned to her sharply in realization. Jenny nodded, confirming what he was suspecting. A grin spread wide over his face.

"I guess I better order a maternity test." Jenny grinned back at him, laughing.

"I guess you better."

* * *

**Miscarriage is a serious thing. I have a friend whose sister had a miscarriage. It's not something to joke about, and I'm not making light of it in this story, and I don't want it to be taken that way. How Rose deals with those events and learns to let go is one of the central themes to this story. But first there'll be a little bit of fun and fluff before the plot begins...next chapter I believe. Please review!**


	2. Chapter One - The Family of Time

**Sorry guys, meant to get this out earlier today, but it's been so hectic! Of course, I knew there was no way I could post this tomorrow. My home city celebrates the 4th like nothing else! Happy Independence Day! (my American readers!) :D**

* * *

**Chapter One – The Family of Time**

"_Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value from joy you must have somebody to divide it with." ~Mark Twain_

One maternity test later and the Doctor was able to present Rose to her actual daughter.

"But how is this possible?" Rose asked. "You told me the DNA sampler on Messaline used you as the father and mother." She knew that story inside and out, having been horrified to hear he had an adult daughter while she had been gone, before knowing she was a 'generated anomaly'.

"Well, yes, I suppose that's true, but remember when I drew the time vortex out of you?" She shook her head. "No, of course you wouldn't. Well, it was after you destroyed the Daleks on the Game Station. I took the time vortex that was in you into myself before I released it."

"It caused you to regenerate and me to not age. What does that have to do with Jenny?"

"It seems I drew out a little more of you than I intended. Your DNA is locked inside mine. So while my body did act as father and mother in creating Jenny, it was your DNA that acted as mother, gene wise that is." His look grew confused as Rose began to giggle. "What?"

"So I put my DNA in your body and you did all the work in birthing our daughter?" Jenny began to laugh as the Doctor's face reddened. He grabbed his hand and ran a thumb over where the machine had taken the sample from him.

"Well, it did hurt." Now Rose and Jenny were both holding their sides in laughter. Finally the Doctor joined in, seeing the humour in it. Soon their laughter died down. Remembering the significance of the moment, the Doctor grabbed Jenny by her shoulders and stood her in front of Rose.

"Congratulations." he told her. "It's a girl. Jenny Smith." He released his daughter and watched as the two most important women in the universe to him embraced. Both had tears in their eyes as they pulled away.

"M-may I call you mum?" Jenny asked. Rose smiled, running a hand down the side of her daughter's face. If she looked hard enough, she could see the adult image of Charity Tyler smiling back, telling her to move on, to accept this and have a happy life.

"Yes! Yes of course."

"One more thing...mum." The word sounded good saying it out loud.

"Yes Jenny?"

"Well, I took the name Smith because that's what my father uses when he's embarrassed of just 'the Doctor'."

"Oi!"

"Shut up dad! Having a special moment here!" The Doctor grumbled but stayed silent. "May I take your name instead?"

"Jenny Tyler?" Rose grinned. "I think it sounds brilliant!" They hugged again. They laughed as the Doctor came around and hugged them both to his chest. Before he could stop himself, he spoke.

"Can I take your name too?" Rose released him sharply.

"What?!" She gasped as he got down on his knees.

"No going back now I guess. Let me put it more plainly. Rose, will you marry me?" Rose covered her mouth. Knowing they needed some time alone, Jenny left the Med Bay.

"Why would you want me?" Rose asked quietly, her eyes filling with tears. "I'm a broken mess. I get jealous easily and I was married to your sort-of brother for seven years." The Doctor stood up and put his hands on the sides of her face.

"None of that matters now. I love you, always have." He smiled. "Ever since that time in Downing Street when we were stuck together."

"I could save the world but lose you?" He nodded.

"You said 'do it'. I knew then that you would sacrifice yourself for the sake of the world and in that moment, the last thing I wanted was to lose you, I don't think I could've kept my sanity. In fact, I don't know what I'd do today if you and Jenny weren't by my side." He shuddered at the thought of being completely alone in the universe, searching for a woman who had died twice because of him. Rose banished all those thoughts away by putting her lips on his. He kissed her back gently, knowing this moment couldn't be rushed.

"Yes," Rose said, breathlessly as they pulled apart. "Yes, I will marry you." With that dealt with, the Doctor reached out and grabbed her hand, relishing the way they still fit perfectly together. Not caring how incredibly cheesy he was going to sound, he looked deep into her eyes. At the same time they both saw the younger versions of them, so long ago in the basement of Henrik's.

_"Run!"_

They both gasped into awareness, the memory so real they were both breathing heavily.

"Are you glad you ran, Rose Tyler?" It was an obvious question, but he still wanted, no, needed to hear her answer.

"Of course." She grinned as he took her hand and helped her stand up. Leaning out over her, his lips brushed against hers.

"I love you," he whispered. With that declaration Rose closed the gap between them and kissed him soundly. When they released each other, the Doctor rested his forehead against hers. He laughed with relief.

"What?" She asked.

"It's nothing, just...I still can't believe you're here." After so much heartsache in his life, finally something had gone right.

"Yep. And I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

Jenny grinned as she saw her parents come into the console room holding hands.

"Y'know, after you left Messaline thinking I was dead, I had no one. Now I've got a family." The Doctor put his arms around Rose and his daughter, the two most important women in his life. He'd never felt so grateful.

"Who's up for zip lining in Alaska?"

"I am!" Jenny cried.

"Me too," Rose said with a more relaxed tone. The Doctor nodded as he released them.

"Help me fly there then," he positioned his family around the console and within minutes they were in the vortex. The Doctor, Rose and Jenny in the TARDIS. As it always should be.

* * *

When the three of them stepped out of the TARDIS, it was warmer than Rose expected. She shrugged off her heavy coat and threw it inside before the Doctor shut the door.

"I thought Alaska was cold." She'd never been to the state before but from what she had heard, she half expected igloos and polar bears.

"Nonsense! Only during the winter, and we're in the southeast, their summers and winters are mild. Sort of."

"Does it stay light through the night?" Jenny asked, having read up on Earth's history. She chuckled. "That rhymes." The Doctor turned and grinned at her.

"In the area we're at, it starts getting dark around 11. 11. I like that number." Rose hit his shoulder and he giggled in a very unmanly-like manner. He pointed to a Sitka Rose bush a few feet away, before grabbing her face and planting a snog on her so hard it made the blonde dizzy.

"Oh I compare you to a kiss from a_ Rose_ on the grey..." He began to sing after he let go of her, with more vigor than melody.

"I will smack you, you know I hate that song." Rose said without a trace of honesty in her threat, still spinning from the passion in his kiss.

"This city's so cute!" Jenny exclaimed, oblivious to her parents actions, jumping down the wooden boardwalk. "What did you say the name was?"

"Skagway, in the year 2015. Center of the historic Gold Rush. Cruise ships dock here every day for five months straight for shopping, the museums and the overall Gold Rush experience. There's even a train that goes up the mountain towards where the gold was first found."

"Ooh," Rose watched as a horse-drawn carriage carted past them down the street. "And the zip lining?"

"Well the locals enjoy that too. C'mon!" Jenny and Rose shrieked in excitement as the Doctor grabbed their hands and took off running.

* * *

Ziplining had been a blast. Jenny had been the most in her element as she loved daring and adrenaline pumping adventures, as opposed to the Doctor, who didn't trust the thin lines propelling them down the treetops. More than once Rose had to make him put away his sonic screwdriver.

"But Rose, if she falls, it's a hundred foot drop!" Rose shook her head.

"Does she look worried?" The Doctor watched as his daughter shouted in joy as she flew down the line.

"Doesn't stop me from worrying," he muttered. Rose only nodded and patted his shoulder reassuringly. There were others ahead of them so they talked quietly while they waited.

"Doctor, I don't really want to get married right now." He turned to look at her in surprise. "I...I don't mean never, but...I just feel that I'm not ready yet. I-I mean it was three years ago but y'know..." She really didn't, but the Doctor nodded. It didn't bother him at all. As long as she was by his side, it didn't matter if she was his wife or not.

"Okay." He agreed as he stepped up to the line next. "Just let me know when you are." They shared a kiss.

"Thank you." She whispered. He nodded in assent.

* * *

Soon they were at the final line, and the highest one yet. The guide gathered them up.

"Here in Skagway we have a little tradition on the last line. After you push off, you shout something of significance, it can be anything you want, a name, an exclamation, something funny or completely your own." Rose and Jenny shared a look, they knew what the Doctor was going to shout.

"GERONIMO!"

Rose chose not to shout anything, instead opted for just screaming as this was the highest line and she flew the fastest. The Doctor caught her as she landed into his arms at the bottom. They grinned and shared a light kiss, then stepped aside and waited for their daughter. They heard her shout and looked at each other sharply.

"Jenny, why did you shout that?" The Doctor asked as they pulled their harnesses off.

"What, Bad Wolf? I like the sound of it. And yes I know its significance. After all, I am the child of the Oncoming Storm and the goddess of time."

"Jenny, I'm not the goddess of time, not anymore."

"Yes, but you once were, and it's bloody awesome." Rose shook her head.

"Yes, and we don't like to talk about it." The Doctor added, throwing an arm around Rose protectively. Jenny merely shrugged as she removed her harnesses. She smiled charmingly as a cute Alaskan guy rippling with muscles offered to help her. The Doctor growled low in his throat, but his daughter didn't seem to notice.

"I'm gonna find the toilet," She said after her harness was removed. "I'll catch you guys back at the jeep. Maybe later we can go panning for gold!" She took off with giddiness in her steps. After she had left the Doctor helped Rose with the last of her harnesses.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Bad Wolf's not exactly the happiest memory in our lives, and it definitely wasn't 'bloody awesome' as our charming girl tactfully put it."

"Don't mind her, she's young. She'll understand it better when she's older." She did look like an adult, with dozens upon dozens of tactical battle maneuvers, weapons knowledge and overall war strategies crammed into her head, but she was still a child compared to the vast experience of the universe her parents had. There had been those few years she survived on her own, but it wasn't enough, not yet.

* * *

Ten minutes later the tour group met back at the jeep.

"Is Jenny here?" The Doctor asked the guide.

"Haven't seen her." The American replied.

"Give her a few more minutes." Rose told him. "Maybe she got lost."

Another ten minutes later and the two of them began to get worried.

"Rose, you check bathrooms, I'll look around the area, she may have found a fox or something." He told the guide to give them ten more minutes. But once that time was up, she still wasn't to be found.

"Doctor, I'm worried, she wouldn't have just run off."

"I know, I know." He had his sonic out and was waving it in the air around them.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for her bio signature. I had her DNA scanned into the TARDIS database in case something like this ever happened.

"You made a tracking system for her? Does she know?"

"I don't care if she cares, right now it's our only way of finding out where she went. Aha!" His grin of satisfaction immediately turned dark.

"What, what is it?"

"She was here, but there are traces of an electrical pulse here."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning she was transported away, probably to a ship somewhere in space."

"What? Someone kidnapped her? We have to find her!"

"Rose, calm down, we'll find her." He had a look of barely concealed rage on his face, and Rose feared for the lives of whoever was responsible.

* * *

When the two of them finally reached the TARDIS, the first thing the Doctor did was run over to the console and insert his sonic in a plug by the monitor.

"Damn it!" He shouted, slamming his hand on the console, before crying out in pain. "Ow! The signal's not strong enough, wherever we go, we'll be a day behind."

"A whole day? Anything can happen in twenty-four hours!"

"I know. That's why we have to start now." He pulled the monitor in front of him as the console_ 'dinged'._

"She was taken to a planet called Oceania."

"Let me guess, a desert planet?"

"Rose, this is no time to be...well _you_."

"Oi, what's that supposed to mean?" But the Doctor ignored her as he put them in flight. When they exited the TARDIS they found themselves on the deck of a ship.

"Doctor!" Rose cried as two men grabbed her from behind. The Doctor tried to get to her but found himself held back as well.

"Oh bloody hell," he muttered as what looked like the Captain stepped forward. "Not another pirate ship!"

* * *

**All the facts about Skagway are truth, it's a place near and dear to my heart. :) Ziplining is so much fun, no matter where you are, you need to try it! :D And yes, tourists can pan for gold using troughs set up next to the river (with a minimal amount of gold added in by the hosts). Please review!**


	3. Chapter Two - Ahoy Doctor!

**Chapter Two – Ahoy Doctor!**

_"The trouble with trouble is that it always starts out like fun." ~Unknown Author_

Unlike the last time the Doctor and his companions had been accosted by pirates, this time it was day, and this ship was sailing, run by a powerful and far more dangerous crew. There was no reasoning with these men, he instinctively knew.

"The box just appeared out'a nowhere Cap'. Then these two stepped out." The Captain was a young, good looking man, with a malicious glint in his eye that the Doctor didn't like at all.

"Well, lock 'em up, we'll feed 'em to the sharks when we reach their waters." The men nodded and they dragged the Doctor and Rose below deck. Rose began to struggle, but it only made the two men holding her grip her tighter. Not wanting to see her hurt, the Doctor begged her to stop.

"Don't resist them Rose, you'll only make it worse."

"You be'er listen to yur husban', 'e knows what 'e's talkin' abou'." Rose was about to object but then realised that it wouldn't do any good. Funny how people mistook them as being married when technically they were only engaged, in a manner of sorts. So she settled for muttering a rude comment about not being able to understand a word the pirate said, which got her a painful shove in the back.

The two cried out in shock as they were suddenly thrown into a room filled with barrels of cannon balls. Another man appeared in the doorway, holding two strands of rope.

"Change of plan mates, Cap'n wants 'em tied up. Don't want to risk any more trouble on this voyage." The Doctor and Rose were dragged over to a post and their wrists were tied together around it. Finally they were shoved into a sitting position to make it harder for them to escape. The lock could be heard turning on the door as the crew members left. Rose noticed the Doctor hang his head in hopelessness.

"We'll get out of this, we've been in much worse. Remember the Gelth?" The Doctor chuckled, he did indeed remember.

"I was so sure I was going to get you killed. And look at us now." He turned around as much as he could to grin at her. "I'm so glad I met you." Rose laughed.

"Me too." With that she sighed, leaning up against the post. She remembered something she wanted to ask him. "Why do they have gills? The pirates that is."

"Oceania is 99% water, the Oceanics had to adapt so they wouldn't drown. Most of their trading is done on ships because the waters are filled with nasty creatures. They have lungs as well so they can breathe above and below water."

"Great. Why does it feel like we're on Earth though? This is an alien planet in 2015 still, but we're on a bloody pirate ship like the ones in my history books!"

"Y'know, I've often wondered the same thing myself. It's like my story is being written by Brits in the 21st century." He began to grumble. "The last pirates I met were way more accommodating than these bastards."

"Was that with Amy?" He nodded.

"And Rory."

"Doctor, did you notice how the one bloke said 'don't want to risk _any more_ trouble'? I wonder what he meant by that." The Doctor laughed as he too realised that.

"You always know just what to say, don't you?"

"Yep, I'm just that good." That caused him to laugh again.

"Well, the TARDIS did lead us here so Jenny was on this ship within the last twenty-four hours. Maybe she caused a ruckus, she is your daughter after all."

"Oi! She's just as much, probably even more so your daughter."

"That is true. Now, let's see if we can't get free of this rope." He leaned over to try to chew on it but he couldn't reach it.

"I have a pocket knife in my coat pocket." Rose said. "If you could just reach it." The Doctor had to use his hand which was still tied to hers to get inside her pocket.

"You're not wearing the jacket I gave you are you?"

"No, thankfully." The Doctor was relieved, he didn't want to have to dig through bigger-on-the-inside pockets. Within a few seconds his fingers gripped the edge of the pocket knife. It hurt incredibly because of the position they were in but he was able to pull it out. Unfortunately the strain was too much and it clattered to the floor, just out of reach. Figures.

"That's okay." Rose said. "I'm sure we'll find another way." The Doctor was irritated though, and he struggled with his bonds.

"My daughter...our daughter is in danger and we don't have time for these games!" Rose didn't say anything, just let him fume for a few minutes. Finally the Doctor noticed she was doing something. So he asked her what she was up to.

"There's a large splinter of wood about half a metre away from my foot." The Doctor tried to see what she was doing but he was unable to. He could hear her boot scraping on the deck and he could hear her grunts of strain. She immediately stopped as they heard a noise at the door. It opened and one of the crew stepped in, one with tattooed spots around the gills on the sides of his neck.

"Eat up, Captain's best!" He tossed what looked like a bread roll at them and it hit Rose's shoulder, bouncing away. The man laughed as he shut and locked the door again. Rose looked at the food warily.

"Doctor, is it supposed to be green?" The Doctor sniffed the air. He couldn't see it but he could smell it.

"Yes, it's rilah bread, commonly different shades of green."

"But with something crawling on it?" She wrinkled her face in disgust. Ignoring it, she turned back to getting the splinter within her reach.

"Aha! Got it!" Again he could hear her boot drag against the wood below them. "Now if I could just...yes. It's in my hand now." Now he could hear her digging the sharp point of wood into the rope around their wrists, and he could feel it too as his wrist moved with her every movement. Thankfully he finally heard a 'snap' of the rope after a few minutes. After that it was easy to pull the rest off. With a final break they were free, and they fell forward with the momentum. The Doctor rubbed his sore wrists while Rose retrieved her knife. She brandished it like a weapon, and the Doctor grinned at her. Funny how his last regeneration despised violence but this body didn't seem to mind. Or maybe that had been River's influence.

"Now let's get out of here and find Jenny."

* * *

"Where do you think they took the TARDIS?" Rose asked as they snuck out of the room they had been held in. Rose had easily picked the lock, something her deceased husband - the Metacrisis, or John had shown her how to in case something exactly like this happened. Well not exactly, even he would probably be surprised to hear they were captured by alien pirates on an ocean planet. The Doctor had offered to sonic it but she wanted to keep her skills in shape and oh yeah "the sonic didn't do wood".

"I have no idea." The Doctor replied to her question. "Let's check the Captain's quarters first. Powerful men seem to like to keep it for themselves." He thought about Caceillious who had 'purchased' it in Pompeii and the strange vibes the Doctor got from the man. No time to think of that now, the past was dead and gone. But not Donna. Thankfully because of Jack, River and Rose Donna had regained her memory and was now living happily married to her previously divorced husband Shawn.

It took them a while but eventually they found what looked like the Captain's quarters. Rose picked the lock again and they stepped inside. The Doctor cried in joy as he saw his ship waiting for them on the other side of the room. But he ran too fast and knocked over a chest sitting on the desk in the middle of the room. The door behind them immediately slammed open. It was the Captain, holding a laser pistol.

"Well that's different," Rose muttered as they were lead back out to the deck.

"Perfect timing," the Captain said. "We've just reached the edge of where your final stop is." Rose went to grip her knife tighter but immediately dropped it when she felt someone press a blade to her neck. The Doctor whipped his head around at the noise of her knife clattering to the deck.

"Hey Cap'n Jell, I've got an idea, let's keep this 'un, we could have fun with 'er later."

"No!" The Doctor went to run to her but was held back. The Captain who they now knew as Jell chuckled at the Doctor's reaction.

"Yes, that's a good idea Yilch. But let her watch her husband die first." The two men dragged the Doctor over to the plank that extended out over the ocean.

"Wait please, can I say goodbye to my wife?" Jell nodded and the men released him. He ran over to Rose and snogged her soundly, bringing her body up against hers. She was distracted momentarily, until she felt the Doctor slip something into her pocket. He let her go and looked into her eyes, mentally sending her that message that told her she was to get them out of this.

"No!" She cried dramatically as pirates pulled the Doctor off of her. For added effect, she let a few fake tears run down her cheeks. "Honey, I love you!"

"I know," Rose closed her eyes to hide her annoyance. Did he really just quote Star Wars at a time like this? As soon as she heard the Doctor splash into the water, Rose went into action. She elbowed the man behind her in the stomach and ran for the plank.

"Let her go," she heard Jell say as she leapt off. "If she wants to die with him let her." Rose held her breath as she landed into the water. With a few kicks she was able to breathe again. She spotted the Doctor a few feet away from her.

"Nice touch with the tears," he said quietly so no one on the boat could hear him.

"Han Solo, really?" He merely grinned, so Rose splashed water at him. Joking aside, the Doctor swam closer to her so their bodies were nearly touching. That caused Rose to remember the dire situation they had gotten themselves in. She put a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming.

"Doctor, something brushed up against my foot!" She began to shiver, and not just because of the cold water.

"Don't worry, the Doctor reassured her, "I've got a plan."

"Since when do you have plans? That's never been your MO." The Doctor glared at her and she bit back a grin of amusement. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. When he pulled back she nodded her assent. The Doctor swam a few feet back to make sure he was in view of the crew. One look told him they were all watching. Bloodthirsty animals, both below and above them.

"I'll have you know," he directed his voice to Rose but made sure he was loud enough so the crew could hear him as well. "that I speak shark and can communicate with these 'beasts of the deep'." He saw Rose's eyes grow wide as fins rose up around them. Hoping, no, praying this would work, he glanced back at Rose meaningfully, trying to catch her eye. He was successful.

"Listen to me you foul creatures! I command you to leave us alone!" He then proceeded to let out a series of squeaks and barks that Rose could only guess that he actually knew he was saying. Rose still felt agitated at this plan, thinking that they still might be eaten alive, but within minutes she was able to let out a sigh of relief, seeing those same fins circling them disappearing. Once she knew they were out of danger, she attempted to hold back a series of giggles, despite the situation. It would help them none if the pirates found out about their little ruse.

But the minutes continued to tick by and Rose grew worried again. If they weren't killed by sharks, would they die by hypothermia or drowning out of sheer tiredness?

"Doctor, I don't know if I can make it much longer." At her plea the Doctor swam back over to her. With slight irritation she noticed he was doing fine, not tired or cold. So much for the romance of dying together. But she pushed that aside as he let her lean on him.

"Oi, don't you think we've been in here long enough?" The Doctor shouted up to the crew. Rose immediately groaned. "What?" He asked her.

"Well, they might have let us up, but not now!"

"Why?" He didn't understand, as always.

"They're too prideful, I bet. If they pulled us out now it'll look like they're obeying your orders."

"Well they should! They should be terrified of disobeying me!"

"You? Terrifying? How can a man with the face of a twelve-year-old be terrifying?"

"Oi!" To demonstrate her point, she reached out and pinched him. "Ow!" He cried, reminding Rose of the day after she first met the leather version of him, when she whacked him with the auton arm.

"You never change, do you?" He gave her that confused yet hurt look again but Rose dropped the subject. It actually took another ten minutes before Rose spied Jell ordering them to get them out of the water.

"Oh thank the stars," Rose breathed in relief. The strength in her legs had died out five minutes ago and she felt guilty for depending on the Doctor to tread water with both their weight combined. She collapsed to the deck as she was dropped unmercifully. The Doctor helped her up, glaring at the man who had dropped her on purpose. Rose rung out her hair while the Captain addressed them.

"How did you scare off the sharks?"

"I told you, well her actually, I can talk to 94% of most aquatic animals. Well I didn't say that exactly but you get the point. Actually the point was..."

"Doctor," she patted his shoulder to get him to stop talking. If she suspected that he never changed before, she knew it now. She figured every regeneration of the time lord loved to hear the sound of his own voice. The Doctor took her hint and promptly shut up.

"We're very powerful beings, and if you don't let us go, you'll live to regret it. Our names are the Bad Wolf and the Oncoming Storm, perhaps you've heard of us," Rose was pleased to see a ripple of fear run through the men.

"Bring their box up!" Jell ordered, his voice wobbling a bit more than he liked.

"Oh so you have heard of us?" The Doctor swaggered forward and Rose facepalmed. She had just got done telling him he wasn't terrifying, and he would destroy that frightening reputation if he attempted to act on it now. Fortunately, the TARDIS was brought up before he could get any further. She watched the Doctor's face as his beloved ship was brought forward. The Doctor's one true love. The Doctor seemed to know what she was thinking as he turned back and grabbed her hand. Okay, so maybe he had more than one true love. Impossible true, but the Doctor loved impossible. His TARDIS was impossible, and his Bad Wolf was impossible. And together the three of them were unstoppable.

"Hold on," Rose stopped before the Doctor could drag her into the ship. "A young blonde woman was here yesterday" she turned to the man closest to her, who was young and probably inexperienced. "You, yes you. I want the whole story, and don't leave out any details." His eyes grew wide but he didn't hesitate as he replied, earning a stern look from his Captain.

"Yes, she was on our vessel. She was a captive of two men who took the Dulerean route to get to the Ilsan island. Caused a bit of a ruckus too by trying to escape. She didn't get very far though as they had strange-looking lethal dart weapons." At that the Doctor had to clench his fist to keep from getting angry. If Jenny had been hurt...the man continued to talk, not noticing. "They had two others with them as well, a young male and female, both Ristans, looked like siblings. But I don't suspect they're on the planet anymore." By this point the Doctor had stepped up.

"Why? And remember boy, details!"

"They said this was the second to last planet they had to go, something about picking up one more batch of 'participants' before they could go home."

"Participants." Rose spat in disgust. "Jenny did not participate in any of this!" She felt the dark side of her, the creature she could usually hold back at bay, rise up so close she felt her eyes burn slightly at the edges. The Doctor gripped her hand tighter and she landed back in sanity. The Doctor looked at her in worry. He knew about her inner battle and grew agitated with each display. She tried to reassure him that she was alright with a sad smile, but he wasn't buying it. But that was a discussion for another day.

"Did she look okay?" Rose asked the crewman.

"She looked tired, and angry, but that's about it."

"I hope she's getting fed well." The Doctor smiled.

"Look at you, being all protective mother-style." Her reply was tinged with bitterness.

"Yeah well, just trying to make up for me failing Charity." He went to admonish her as it wasn't her fault, but Rose released his hand and went back into the TARDIS. The Doctor went to follow her but before he did, he stole the pirate hat off of the man who had given them the information about Jenny. He placed it on his head and stepped inside his ship. He turned back to the pirates.

"Thanks for your help men!" With that he shut the door.

* * *

**Reviews please! :)  
**


	4. Chapter Three - Major Detour

**Bit sad at the two reviews constant per chapter but that's okay, I expected that, even though this was the story I put my heart and soul into (which will be clear in the next two chapters). It is that time of year where at least something makes me depressed (summer lull :P), so don't worry too much about it. However, this chapter is one of my favorites, as the parts on the train was inspired by a dream I had, although the Doctor and Rose were in the past in my dream. I trapped myself in 2015 in this fic so it had to be in the future. Drat. In other words, I started _"The Fault in Our Stars"_ for the first time yesterday. (Is that a bad idea?) That's one of the reasons this chapter was so late coming. (IT'S SO GOOD SO FAR but I know all that happens so I'm just waiting for the inevitable, uncontrollable heartbreak, I even told my family to stay away from me when I'm done xP)  
**

* * *

**Chapter Three – Major Detour**

_"Age is a sorry traveling companion." ~Danish Proverb_

Once inside the TARDIS, the Doctor looked at Rose who was standing near the console. Suddenly they burst into laughter.

"Their faces!" Rose cried while she held her sides that hurt from laughing so hard. "They actually thought you told off those sharks!"

"Oi, I did!" Rose disproved him by throwing to him the sonic he had given her earlier before he took his swim.

"The sonic resonation scared them off. Although you in that hat would have been enough."

"Oi!" The Doctor loved his hat. He loved all his hats, no matter how short-lived they were.

"Do we need to see River?" The Doctor immediately pulled the hat off his head and hugged it to himself. First she had destroyed his fez, then his stetson...no more. "Speaking of which," Rose continued, "would it be smart to get River and Jack's help? We certainly could use it." She missed the two people she owed her current happiness to. The Doctor immediately shook his head, still holding that ridiculous hat to his chest.

"No, it'd take too much time. We need to stay right on top of this. One minor detour and we could lose Jenny forever." Rose nodded, disappointed. Maybe they could go see them when they got Jenny back. Rose had no doubt in her mind that they would get Jenny back. Her faith in the Doctor, coupled with the faith in the strength of her daughter dashed away all doubts. However that didn't stop her from worrying over her daughter's health and overall safety. She didn't want her to get hurt.

Holding back a smile, the Doctor walked forward and placed the pirate hat on Rose's head. She grinned, and suddenly it felt just like old times, when she was barely twenty years old and he wore pinstripes. She did look rather cute in that hat, maybe he should get her to wear hats more often.

"Forget it," she seemed to know what he was thinking and took off the hat, tossing it on the console behind her. The Doctor sulked, but didn't reply as he sent them into the vortex. Joking aside, now it was all seriousness.

"Rose, make a list of everything we know." It was a strategy they knew well, having put it into practice many times before. Rose kept the list in her head rather on paper.

"Okay, 1. We know she was taken against her will by two who looked like men."

"Mmhm."

"2. These two men have more captives and they plan to capture more. Not just humans either, Ristans are humanoid with blue spots. Right?"

"Yes."

"3. They have one more planet to stop at before they go back to their home planet. They're going there to capture more young men and women."

"Okay. And what don't we know?"

"Why they're only taking young men and women, nor which planet they're going to next or what their home planet is. We also don't know why they're taking them in the first place." The Doctor nodded, just as the console dinged.

"Scratch that second one, yesterday she was taken to the planet Kil-Ha 7." He winced.

"What's wrong with Kil-Ha 7?"

"In the equivalation of 2015, Kil-Ha 7 had just gotten out of a planetary civil war two years previously. Their planet is war-torn and their people are still battle minded. We better be careful."

"Since when have we been careful?" By now the ship had landed and they stood in front of the door. The Doctor turned to her and tried to smile, still deathly afraid for the life of his daughter, possessing the doubts that Rose refused to allow in her head. He appreciated his blonde companion trying to keep his mood up so he wouldn't do something Oncoming Storm-esque.

"Since never." With that he opened the door and the two stepped out onto Kil-Ha 7.

* * *

Rose winced as they stepped out of the TARDIS. It was just as the Doctor had said, for once. Kil-Ha 7 looked like it had once been beautiful, but not anymore. Ruined, abandoned buildings were in crumbles around them, and the sky was a dark orange, like the coals of a dying fire. Rose heard an engine in the distance.

"Something running?"

"Yes, the trains run automatically, it's the only safe way to get from place to place. Well, sort of safe. Stay close to me." Rose listened. She was done with her 'wandering off' days, or so she told herself. The Doctor had his sonic out and was waving it around in the air.

"She was here, at least she was yesterday."

"Maybe they took a train to another area?"

"Possibly." They continued walking until they spied some people talking in a group.

"Careful," the Doctor warned. "They're armed." Rose looked closer and saw they had strange rifles strapped around their shoulders.

"Excuse us," Rose said, gaining the attention of the people, three men and two women. "Have you seen a young blonde woman with two men and two Ristans?"

"Yes, are you one of them?"

"Well yes, human...wait, that's not what you meant was it?" One burly man stepped forward, pulling the rifle off his arm.

"You said it yourself, you're one of them! You will pay for taking my son!"

"Rose, run!" The Doctor pulled her away and they bolted for a tree in the distance. The Doctor made it in time but Rose had to dive to avoid getting hit. The Doctor looked at the burn mark in the tree and winced. "Don't get hit by that. Nasty business.

"Doctor, what are we going to do?" She was out of breath. She cursed her out-of-shapeness due to her slow 'paperwork' years working for Torchwood. Her father had placed her there to heal mentally and physically after her miscarriage. Her body had healed, but she had lost the lung capacity that kept her going. The Doctor perked his ears up, hearing something.

"I think we have a train to catch." He looked at Rose and she nodded. The Doctor watched, knowing they had to time this exactly right. Suddenly he grabbed her hand and they began dashing towards the train that was moving. The train turned to the right and they ran faster. Finally they reached a car with an open door. Rose was closer so she leapt in first, collapsing to the floor. She immediately turned around to see if the Doctor had made it. She saw him hop in, but suddenly he cried out in pain and fell to the floor. Rose rushed in and dragged him away from the door. His boots kicked against the wooden floor as he struggled.

"Doctor!" She shouted, looking for where he had been hit. There was nothing on his back, but yet he kept crying out in pain and convulsing. "Doctor, I don't know what to do!" Would he regenerate? It didn't look like he was starting. Would he die? She couldn't save Jenny on her own. "Doctor, I can't do this without you!" Tears ran down her cheeks as she desperately tried to turn the Doctor over on his back. He had regained a little control by this point, but he still clenched his eyes and bit his lip to keep from crying out.

"Not...not dying." He held his hand out and it shook as changes overtook it.

"What's happening?" Rose asked. He wasn't regenerating, she knew what that looked like, and this wasn't it. But still, something was happening to him.

"A-aging ray. It kills humanoids by aging them until they're t-too old to fight back anymore, but it won't...kill me." Rose watched in shock as her Doctor aged before her eyes. First wrinkles dotted his face, then his hair turned gray. When it was all finished the Doctor sighed in relief, no longer in that agonizing pain. Strangely, he knew what it felt like to be this old, thanks to the Master. Rose sniffed, unable to hold back her tears that she had shed out of fear. The Doctor reached a withered hand out and stroked the side of her face. His voice was laced with old age.

"Rose Tyler. Can't get rid of me that easily." She laughed in the middle of a sob.

"Don't do that to me again! If you weren't as old as my gramps I'd slap you into your next life!" The Doctor chuckled at that. Rose wiped away the last of her tears as she crawled away to look out at the rolling valley outside their car.

"Do you think Jenny's out there?" She asked. The Doctor coughed and Rose returned to his side.

"I doubt it."

"What are we doing then?" She glanced outside again at the firey-colored sky.

"We...we need to go to the consolate office, get any and all information that would tell us where she was taken." Rose nodded, satisfied.

"You better get some sleep." The Doctor told her. "I'll be fine by tomorrow, in case you were wondering." Rose gave him a small smile, her eyes red from crying.

"I wasn't." She curled up next to the Doctor and placed her head on his lap. The Doctor grinned at her as she drifted off to sleep, running a hand through her golden hair. He was older looking when she first fell in love with him, he knew because she told him. Granted he didn't look as old as he did now, but it was a great comfort to know that no matter how the regeneration card played, she wouldn't leave his side. Love was more than looks. It was accepting the deepest parts on the inside, both the pretty and ugly things, the things that stayed the same no matter what changed on the outside. Rose was never superficial like that, and that warmed his hearts like nothing else.

His hand still entangled in her hair, he felt his eyes drifting closed, until darkness overtook him. The train rolled beneath them as it carried them away.

* * *

Rose barely awoke when the Doctor stirred awake a few hours later. But she was completely exhausted and didn't realise it when she immediately fell back asleep. Another few hours later when she woke up fully she remembered.

"Oh Doctor I'm so sorry I didn't mean-" she gave a shout of surprise as she noticed the Doctor's face and body back to normal. She laughed in joy and hugged him. He laughed with her as he rubbed her back.

"Don't be sorry. We're still a half hour from the consolate." Rose realised just how hot it was. "There's a few suns orbiting the planet, that's why it stayed daylight the whole time you were sleeping." Rose hadn't noticed, but didn't say anything. "I was waiting for you to wake up, it's gotten hot as an oven in here and I wanted to take my jacket off."

"I thought your body temperature was regulated, y'know, superior biology and all." She bit back a smile as she helped him pull off his purple jacket. The Doctor sighed.

"Getting hit by that aging ray messed up some of my functions. I had to wear my glasses just to see outside for a while there." He pulled out his glasses that had previously belonged to Amy. He felt that same twinge of pain that he'd felt his whole life traveling whenever he lost a friend, before he remembered it was no longer necessary to be sad, as she and Rory were living safely and happily in Queens. He returned the glasses to his shirt pocket and unbuttoned his shirt, not bothering to take it off fully. He grinned, seeing Rose eyeing his bare chest hungrily as she removed her own jacket. His own hearts began to race as he noticed she was wearing a nearly see-through red tank top, leaving hardly anything left to imagination. He was thinking of a few good ways to spend their remaining time on this stuffy train, until Rose dashed that with her next words.

"You're still too tired, aren't you?" He was forced to agree. Damn. So instead Rose crawled over to his side and leaned into him, her head over his hearts. She placed a hand on his bare chest and listened to the beat of his two hearts. Thump thump thump thump. Thump thump thump thump. It nearly lulled her to sleep again.

"I still loved you y'know," she said quietly, "even when you were old. I don't care what you look like." The Doctor didn't reply, instead used his hand to pull her chin up. Their noses were barely touching and the Doctor felt himself getting high off her scent, the scent that made her Rose. Adventure, excitement and strawberry shampoo. It was intoxicating. He kissed her gently.

"Thank you," he whispered as he pulled back slowly.

"For what?" She said dreamily.

"For saving me."

* * *

Rose had fallen asleep again, so the Doctor nudged her awake.

"We're reaching the city in a few minutes." Rose blinked a few times to wake herself up. They both watched as the train rushed its way closer to the city.

"That's the consolate there, the big grey building in the distance. Go there and research the other cases of kidnapping. See if there's any sort of a pattern, it could lead us to the home planet."

"And what will you be doing?"

"I'll be trying to find any eyewitness accounts, maybe people on the street who knew somebody who was taken."

"No scan for alien tech then?" She grinned at the memory. The Doctor pushed her away lightly and she giggled. Finally they had reached their stop. The train slowed and the Doctor stepped out onto the ground first. He grabbed Rose by the waist and hoisted her out and set her on her feet beside him.

"What if we're attacked again? Shouldn't we stick together?"

"Crime is considerably less in the city. The police care only about the citizens and not those living on the outskirts."

"You mean those living in danger every day, fighting for their lives? Just by our own account we can tell there's a real problem."

"Maybe after we get Jenny back we can do something about that. For now, head to the station, see what you can find. I'll meet you there in two hours." Rose nodded her assent and jogged away.

* * *

It hadn't taken Rose long at all to find the center of the security force in the town, which she quickly figured out the name was Sahm. She fingered the psychic paper the Doctor had given her as she ran up the steps and went inside the grey building.

"Hi, can I help you?" A young man with ears on his neck and a stubby nose inquired.

"Yes, hello, I'm Rose Wolf, representative of the fifth regiment of the Shadow Proclamation." She flashed him the psychic paper and he nodded. It was always better to use a fake name, albeit partially safe. She felt like a superhero whenever she did this. Or least a sexy FBI Agent. Hey maybe the Doctor should take her to meet the Winchesters, they certainly could give her a few 'tips' on how to better portray an FBI Agent. She was unsuccessful at hiding back a grin at the thought. "I'm here to investigate the recent kidnappings."

"Well, I don't...-"

"I didn't ask for excuses, now run along! Bring me everything pertaining, I'll be in this room over here." She pointed to an empty side room. The boy, startled by her loud tone, ran off to do her bidding. Rose nodded in satisfaction as she entered the room and sat on one of the chairs. She pulled her phone out - a new one the Doctor had given her a few months ago - to see if anything was on the news. Nothing. No news broadcasting system that is. What was wrong with this planet? Usually the news was the first thing to come back up after a war. Oh well, she'd just have to do with conventional research.

Within just a few minutes – speedy young man – he was back with two boxes in his arms. He struggled with the weight and the ability to see because the boxes were in his eyeline. Rose stepped up and pulled the box on top off and set it on the table. It collapsed with a loud thunk.

"Thank you..."

"Theese. Theese Yiln."

"Thank you Theese." She leaned up and planted a kiss on the young alien's cheek. She saw him blush and glance down at her ring finger, which currently held no engagement ring from a certain Time Lord. She'd have to talk to him about that soon.

"Good boy." She honored his morality. "Sorry, I'm taken." Theese looked down in embarrassment and departed. Rose shook her head. She was years older than him anyway, even more than she looked. How old would she be now? She guessed around 40, but she still looked 25, the peak of her stamina and strength.

"Hmm." She hummed as she began pulling papers out and sorting them by date and happenstance. Nothing of relevance really. She was hoping for specifics, like anyone who had seen the kidnappers, what they looked like, anything that would help her determine their planet of origin.

After about an hour she was getting frustrated. She had been through every slip of paper three times and hadn't found anything that would help them find Jenny. Suddenly she gasped. A folder had fallen on the floor earlier that she hadn't noticed. Upon reading the contents, she dropped the folder, scattering papers everywhere. Everything had clicked. Always two men, kidnapping young people, the weapons they always carried...she hadn't been able to see it before but now with the new information she knew exactly what these...these creatures were. She took a small piece of paper and made some calculations. Yes, she was right. She wrote down the name of the creatures and took a step back, her mind whirling.

The Doctor, she had to tell the Doctor! She went to turn to the door but suddenly someone grabbed her from behind. She tried to cry out for help but a thick gloved hand covered her mouth. She kicked and struggled but she was dragged towards the other side of the room. Her foot lashed out and knocked a chair over. Her eyes grew wide as she saw another man standing there with a transporter device in his hand. These were the men who took Jenny! And, knowing what they were now, she feared for her life, suspecting that her daughter might already be dead. Or worse.

Rose reached up and with two fingers pressed them into her left shoulder-blade. That was all she would be able to do before...

The three of them disappeared in a flash of blue light.


	5. Chapter Four - Time is Running Out

**No, some of you didn't get it. I don't want pity reviews, that doesn't make me feel any better, nor does blaming me for guilt tripping you. What I want...well what I want is for every reader of every story on this whole site to realise how much writers go through, how much of our lives we sacrifice for _nothing_** **except hearing what random strangers think of the work we put our entire souls into for all the world to see. I was not begging for you people I've never met to leave a few words accusing me of "reverse psychology". Sorry to sound harsh, but I'm the kind of person who, doesn't ALWAYS review but I try very hard to do it more than often. (Can you tell I'm a bit unbalanced? Finished TFioS yesterday...) Anyways thanks to those who did review with nice words on the story content. Let's continue!  
**

* * *

**Chapter Four - Time is Running Out**

"_Evil unchecked grows, evil tolerated poisons the whole system." ~Jawaharlal Nehru_

_Rose reached up and with two fingers pressed them into her left shoulder-blade. That was all she would be able to do before...The three of them disappeared in a flash of blue light._

The Doctor cried out in pain and clutched his left shoulder, falling to his knees. The sudden pain made him so dizzy he didn't realise what it was for a few seconds.

"Rose," he gasped. A few months ago, just a few weeks after Rose had agreed to travel with him again, he had gotten the idea for linked nerve controls. Whenever one of them was in danger they would hit that button embedded in the skin of their left shoulder and it would alert the other one with enough pain to notice that something had happened to them. He was still working on one for Jenny when she had disappeared.

"Rose," he said again, struggling to get up. Thankfully, the nerve control would send out waves once every fifteen minutes, becoming a tracking device as well. But he had to find her here before she was taken off the planet, if what he suspected had happened did. So he rushed to the consolate office and burst through the doors. The boy named Theese tried to stop him but the Doctor rushed past him and into the room Rose had been in.

"Rose, she was here." Theese gasped as he went inside the room as well. Papers were scattered everywhere and a chair was knocked over, showing signs of a struggle.

"She was just here, Ms. Wolf was, are you her partner?"

"Yes, I'm John Smith." His hearts clenched, remembering Jenny making fun of his fake name. He bent down to retrieve one of the papers that had caught his eye. It was a small one, one that had Rose's handwriting on it. His eyes widened in realisation.

"Oh my brilliant Rose, you figured it out before I did."

"Why, who's been taking the people?" Theese asked, not being able to see the paper the Doctor held. The Doctor didn't say a word, only clenched his hand, causing the piece of paper to crumple slightly. He slapped it against Theese's chest as he left the room and ran for the TARDIS.

Theese looked at the piece of paper. He gave a gasp of horror and left to call his superiors.

_Cetlyk Vampires_

* * *

"Cetlyk Vampires." The Doctor spat as he ran back to the TARDIS, wincing as the nerve connection sent another wave of pain through his shoulder. He should have known. He was too blind, thankfully Rose had been able to put the pieces together. He now knew the home planet where Rose and Jenny were being taken to, if they were both still alive. Cetlyk Vampires were not like the 'vampires' he had met with Rory and Amy, these ones were actually blood-sucking monsters. They were more of a horror story really, but never had the Doctor ever come across one of them. The Cetlyk kidnapped the young and infected them with their saliva, causing them to turn into one of them. If not compatible, their victims would eventually be killed, if not used for feeding, as humanoid blood was a favorite of theirs. Rose and Jenny might already be dead, or worse...No, best not to think like that.

For a certain precaution and only as a last resort, the Doctor pulled out a syringe filled with a purple liquid, a concoction he had developed himself. He inserted the needle into one of his veins and drained the entire thing into his bloodstream. With that out of the way, he threw the syringe aside and prepared his flight coordinates.

He now knew where to go and what he had to do. These vampires had taken the only things he lived for and they would pay. They would pay dearly.

* * *

The vampire nest was located on Jilsta 4, a small and mostly ignored planet. Which was for the best anyway because unwary travelers who even ventured near there were never heard from again.

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS after it had landed, a determined dark look on his face. He would take on every single vampire in his path to get to Rose and his daughter, and nothing could stop him. The Doctor continued to stride until he reached a large building that looked like a ship the size of an asteroid had crashed. Without another thought he stepped inside. Strange there were no guards or anything. Maybe they thought it wasn't needed, that they were strong enough to take care of anyone who got in their way. It was foolhardy, but right now the Doctor couldn't even see straight in anger, much less think logically.

He used his sonic to scan a computer he found just a few feet inside the complex. It showed where the newest batch of prisoners had been taken. With the coordinates logged into the screwdriver, he took off running until he found a set of stairs that led below deck, possibly to what had once been the brig when this massive ship was in the air. When he reached the lowest deck he found something that made his blood boil even more. Men and women between the ages of twelve and twenty-five were being held in every single cell. There had to be at least a hundred of them. They all huddled in fright, and the Doctor could see holes in some of their necks where blood dripped down. Okay, so these were the feeding stock. But where was his family...?

"Dad?" He heard a familiar voice come from one of the cells. He ran forward until he saw a flash of familiar blonde hair.

"Jenny!" He cried, the worry in his hearts easing a bit but the anger still rising. She pushed others out of her way to get to the bars of the cell.

"Dad, I knew you'd come!" Another man stepped up beside her, who the Doctor realised was probably the Ristan that had also been taken at the same time as his daughter. "See, I told you he'd come for us." She spoke to the Ristan. They were holding hands, the Doctor realised with a start. More important things.

"You haven't been turned, have you?" The Doctor asked, looking at her neck. Thankfully there were no bite marks.

"No, we're clean, we all are, but Dad, don't worry about me, you have to get to Rose, she's been taken upstairs to the converting room. They found her compatible, you have to hurry!" The Doctor didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed his daughter by her hands and squeezed them tightly, before dashing back upstairs.

* * *

Strangely, he still didn't come across a single vampire as he scanned another console to find where the 'converting room' was. Maybe they were all celebrating, or even worse, out in teams to bring in more victims. He didn't even know what he would have done had he come across one. They had no weaknesses as far as he knew, except for fire and decapitation, none of which he had the weapons for at the moment. He'd have to improvise. He also realised in horror that the nerve connection from Rose hadn't sent him anything in over twenty-three minutes. Whoever took Rose must have detected it and had it taken out, most likely in the most painful way. He ran faster.

When the Doctor reached what was supposed to be the converting room, he found the door locked with four seals. This would take him some time. And every second brought Rose closer to a fate worse than her death. And he would not lose her, not again. So he began on the first lock, that took about two minutes. The second and third were easy but the last one was on a rotating spinner, which took him about three minutes. Finally when it snapped open the Doctor kicked the door and ran inside. He gave a shout of horror at what he saw. He had been too late.

Rose was strapped to a chair and a vampire had its teeth in her neck, draining its saliva into her. Rose had her eyes closed and the Doctor couldn't barely tell she was alive, except for the way she struggled slightly every few seconds. He went to rush forward but found a force field surrounding Rose and the vamp.

"Rose, no!" He pounded on the force field, ignoring the shock waves it sent through his body. "NO!" He cried out as he saw her open her eyes, which were now black as death. "ROSE!"

"Good work Midvre, you may go now." came a new voice on the other side of the room.

"Thank you Lord Virse." It was hard but the Doctor wrenched his eyes away from Rose's form to see who was talking. A vampire with dark hair strode in, much taller than the one who had infected Rose. His black cape fluttered slightly, making him look like a classic vampire out of a horror B movie, which the Doctor would have commented on had he not been so furious and horrified. As the lead Cetlyk neared Rose, she seemed drawn to him, tugging on her ropes, the side of her mouth curving up in a smile to expose her new fangs. As he reached Rose he ran a finger down her cheek and she shivered in sick giddiness. She turned her head to the side and the Doctor saw her shoulder where the nerve transmitter would have been. The area was now torn up and bloody where they had dug it out in the most painful way possible. Just as he feared.

"Rose, no." The Doctor gasped in despair, his voice weak. How could he have failed her, again?

"When we took your daughter, we expected her to be the one for you to see like this. To be the one to shatter your soul forever. Unfortunately, she was pure, too pure to be tainted by any one of us, even me. On the other hand, even looking at your wife I could tell she had a darkness, the likes of which I have never seen before in my long life. Watch." The Doctor could only stand and do what Virse said as the vampire put his hand on Rose's throat. As he leaned in Rose's eyes seemed to grow even darker, and a primal noise, much like a wolf's rose from her throat. She bared her razor sharp teeth viciously. The vampire grinned in satisfaction.

"I'm going to kill you." The Doctor said, his barely concealed rage on the verge of spilling over. Lord Virse merely chuckled.

"We are not afraid of you. The Silent Sanction was a joke, running about like riggars with their heads removed. All their plots and plans to destroy you that took hundreds of years, and all it took us was one day. Your Rose is gone forever, but you may try to reason, if you wish, though futile. My dear Rose." She looked up at him, all willingness to obey painfully obvious. "Kill him, he's too dangerous to even be one of us." Her eyes seemed to ask him something. He chuckled. "Yes, you may have him. Feast all you want my child." With that he left the room and the force field dropped. Ignoring everything else, the Doctor rushed to her side and collapsed at her feet. One side of her mouth rose up and she ran a tongue over one of her fangs. The Doctor could smell the hunger emanating off her.

"Rose, listen to me, you have to fight this, I know you can do it. Yes, the Bad Wolf has its dark side that's being drawn into this, believe me, I fight the same thing inside me every day. If I let go for just one second, I do horrible things. I kill entire races, believe I can control the universe." He thought about what Adelaide Brooke did to herself because of him. "But this isn't you. You've always been stronger than I ever was. I know because you're the one I look to when I'm weak, the only thing that keeps me going every day." He reached up and ran a hand through her golden hair. "I need you. I love you." At his last words Rose's face sparked in shock. Her black eyes began to clear up, and they filled with tears.

"M...my Doctor. I can't fight it, I'm not strong enough. I'm sorry." In an instant she blinked and her eyes snapped black once more. The Doctor stepped back as Rose raised her head and howled at the ceiling. She then easily snapped the rope keeping her tied to the chair. She began to walk towards the Doctor. As she drew near the Doctor merely lowered his head and sank to his knees, exposing his neck.

"Please, don't do this." He begged one last time, but she was oblivious and hissed at him in anticipation. "Please," He closed his eyes in utter heartsbreak as he felt her fangs sink into his neck. His body jerked in pain as she drew his blood out. He refused to open his eyes as he felt her suddenly release him and stumble backwards, knocking the chair over.

_"What have I done?" _He knew it was the last resort, that Rose would never try to kill him unless she was gone for good. If he didn't stop her now she would become the most ruthless, dangerous creature that ever lived and he refused to let that happen to the woman he loved most in this universe. He had to stop her, and hiding a poison in his blood was the only way to save her from herself. It was harmless to him, but deathly toxic to all Cetlyks, just like the one standing in front of him.

When he finally did look up he saw her staring at him, shock and confusion in her eyes as purple veins crawled up her neck and reached her face. The Doctor leapt up and caught her just as she fell. He looked deep into her eyes and watched as the black faded away like dust in the wind. When she spoke it was so quiet the Doctor barely heard it.

"Don't blame yourself." With that her head lolled back, her eyes lifeless. The Doctor felt a part of him die as painful as any physical wound as he laid her body down. Two single tears fell from his eyes and landed on her cheek.

"I'm so sorry, my beautiful Bad Wolf. Never will I fail you again." He reached out and closed her eyes with his fingers. At that moment he felt something rising up within his chest, something that would be useless to stop, nor did he want to. When he looked up a tempest whirled in his eyes.

The Oncoming Storm had finally come.

* * *

Jenny sighed and ran a hand through her blonde hair.

"I'm sorry Tahn, he needs me right now. I'll call you tomorrow." With that she went inside the TARDIS which was parked right near where she was standing. She tried not to let tears fill her eyes as she walked across the platform and towards the console, where the Doctor was getting ready to take off. It had taken a while but finally the last of the survivors had been dropped back to their homeworlds. The Doctor refused to look at her, but still Jenny could see his face, dull and devoid of all emotion.

"Please, father, don't shut me out." She bit her lip to keep from crying as he continued to ignore her. He'd barely said two words to her after he had told her what had happened to Rose. "I don't blame you for killing them all, they deserved it." Still no response. The Doctor had made sure every clean humanoid was out of the building and onto the TARDIS before the whole planet disappeared in a massive explosion. "Dad, she wouldn't want you like this!" At that he looked at her, and Jenny could see just how dead he was. Barely a fraction of the man he used to be. She couldn't keep it in any longer. With a sob she ran towards her room, leaving the Doctor alone in the room again.

After she had left the Doctor's face didn't even change, though on the inside he was fighting a war against himself.

_"She's right. Rose would want you to move on."_

_ "I can't. There's no possible way I can ever move on from this. She was my entire universe and I let her die. Worse, I let her become the evilest of the evil before I killed her by my own hand."_

_ "What would she say right now if she were here? She would admonish you for your selfish behavior. You need to think of Jenny's needs, your daughter needs you."_

_ "It doesn't matter, Rose isn't here. She never will be. Nothing else matters anymore."_

_ "But-"_

It was done. The war had been won, and the Doctor chose never to feel again. But, for one last time he let himself cry, a final release of everything he had within. He gripped the edge of the console with one hand and placed another over his eyes, letting out all he had inside. Sobs racked his body as he saw her lifeless form in his mind, her eyes no longer bright with life and tinged with gold. The image of her as a vampire with black eyes and fangs would forever haunt his dreams, as was the shock on her face as the poison slowly overtook her body. She was the Bad Wolf, she was supposed to...no, no _he_ was supposed to be strong enough for them both, he was supposed to protect her, he should have saved her! He wasn't fast enough, he wasn't strong enough! He never was! He had lost her so many times, every single time his fault, and this time there was no going back, no second chances. Not even time to tell her how sorry he was for failing her.

With that thought he let out a shattering, universe-tearing cry and collapsed to his knees. His nails dug into the skin of his palm so hard blood trickled onto the floor. He was so angry at himself and the universe for not allowing this one little thing of giving them their happy ending. He was so broken, so devastated as every move he made he felt her beside him, a ghost that refused to leave him alone. Every single moment of them together, whether good or bad flashed before him before fading from his eyes like pencil graphite being erased. An intelligent, brave, beautiful woman who had saved countless lives, including his own numerous times, had been gone, ripped away from him much too soon.

_"I made my choice, I'm never gonna leave you!"_

_"There's me."_

_"Forever."_

Finally when the flow of tears came to an end, he felt the last part of him die. His light, his life, his love. Gone.


	6. Chapter Five - Dead Inside

**You didn't actually think I'd leave you there, would I? (Okay, I might, but not today!) Haha**

* * *

**Chapter Five - Dead Inside**

"_Evil often triumphs, but never conquers." ~Joseph Roux_

Jenny felt her hearts clench as she stepped into the console room, the same as every morning she came up. Inside she fought internally about what she should do. She wanted to be here for him, he obviously needed her but it seemed like her presence made no difference. He never even acknowledged her anymore, and it broke her heart every moment she was on this ship.

_"Just a little while longer." _At least until she was sure he would be okay on his own. She stepped up to the console and helped her father fly the ship, which also seemed void of feeling, which was a strange thing in itself without the Doctor acting the same. The TARDIS fed off the feelings of the Doctor and when the sentient ship got nothing, she gave nothing. She had also lost so much from the death of her Bad Wolf.

Jenny had something to tell him, but when she opened her mouth, the words stuck in her throat. How could she tell him she had found someone she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, when the one he loved was gone forever? The sudden reminder of what he had lost might break him permanently. So she kept quiet. Just like always.

Rose's body had been placed in a containment unit that kept her body preserved. Much like Snow White, her casket was lying on a table in the Med Bay. Jenny went to see her mother every once in a while, but the Doctor never even ventured near. Jenny wished he would go see her, maybe he would find some sort of closure and move on.

* * *

This continued on for weeks, and months. Finally Jenny could stand it no more. She came into the console room, confident in her decision.

"Dad, I don't even know if you can hear me. But I've prepared funeral arrangements for her. It's been three months after all. I think you should see her before we let her go." She came up to the console and landed the TARDIS in Cardiff 2007. "She needs a proper burial, and I thought in the cemetary near the Canary Wharf memorial would be appropriate." She came up to her father and ran a hand lovingly down his arm. He hadn't even bothered to put on his bowtie today. "I'll be waiting for you outside." She let go of him reluctantly and stepped outside. The Doctor eyes watched her as she left. Almost robotically he felt his feet carry him down the stairs and deeper into the TARDIS, until he found himself in the Med Bay, standing in front of her casket.

He suddenly found himself in front of her, staring into the face of the one who he once loved, back when he had cared. He pressed a button on the side and the glass covering her face slid down so he could touch her. But he didn't, he merely stared at her. Something inside him sparked for an instant, but just as quickly it was gone. The Doctor's eyebrows lowered slightly as he continued to look at her. Finally he pressed the same button again and the covering slid shut. He didn't look back as he left the Med Bay.

* * *

As soon as he was gone a purplish liquid poured out of the left side of Rose's mouth. As soon as it was gone it fell and dissipated in a purple haze. As soon as the haze was evaporated by the TARDIS, Rose's eyes fluttered open. At the same time the casket opened automatically, most likely the TARDIS' doing. She sat up quickly, before holding her head and wincing.

"Woo! Detoxification, how long was I out for?" She looked up at the ceiling and frowned as the time ship answered her. "Three months? Oh that's much too long. How's he been doing? Not good." She grabbed a napkin out of her pocket and wiped the last bit of purple liquid off the side of her face. "Hils Poison. Nasty stuff. Took a long time to get out of my system. I wish I could have let him and Jenny know, but the Bad Wolf thought it best I shut down to keep her at bay. Ha ha, the _Bad Wolf_ at _Bay._ Glad to see my humour hasn't changed. She could have easily gotten rid of the poison and then where would we be? Still with fangs I guess." She shivered at the thought. "Well, let's not waste any more time shall we?" Rose hopped out of the casket and hit the floor with a _**THUD. **_

"Owch! Okay, legs not working yet. Let's try this again. Geez this must be how the Doctor feels after regenerating." She went to stand up again and found her strength slowly returning. "That's it! Good girls!" She felt something was off the way she was talking, but perhaps that was because she hadn't even been aware of anything around her for twelve weeks. "Dreadful business." She couldn't wait to see the look on the Doctor's face. Would he run to her the same as he did before they defeated Davros? Or would he just stand there, too shocked to do or say anything? She didn't care what he did, she was just so excited to see him again. And her daughter!

* * *

It took her a while, but finally she reached the console room. She had carefully planned what she was going to say, and she couldn't keep the smile off her face.

"Sorry it took me so long. That detoxification is a bitch." Okay, so maybe not as carefully as she would have liked. But her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as the Doctor ignored her, still staring up at the time rotor of his ship. "Doctor?" She came up the stairs and stood in front of him. The Doctor turned his face to her and she was horrified to see no expression at all. Of all the things she thought he would do, this was not one of them. "Doctor, it's me, Rose!" She began to get worried, he still looked at her like she was dust in the air. Was she invisible? No, a quick check told her no. So why was he acting like this? A sound at the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Mum?" The vase of roses Jenny had been holding fell to the floor with a loud _**CRASH!**_ But the young blonde didn't care as she dashed across the platform and ran for her mother. Rose's face broke into a grin as she rushed for her daughter and they collided in a massive hug, both of them crying and laughing.

"Oh my gosh I thought you were dead! It's been months!"

"Yes, the detoxification had to get everything out of my system, not just the poison but the vampire saliva as well." Rose pulled back. "Roses, really? You know I hate those damn flowers." Jenny just laughed in relief. "Let me look at you." Rose said and grasped Jenny's shoulders. She smiled, seeing her daughter's beautiful face, before noticing something else.

"You've found someone. You're in love." Jenny nodded, tears falling from her eyes. Suddenly Rose remembered the Doctor, who was currently walking around the console, not bothering to push any buttons or pull any levers.

"Jenny, what's wrong with him, he hasn't said a word since he saw me."

"He hasn't said anything since your death. He just walks around the console and flies around the vortex. Good thing I've had my vortex manipulator or else I'd be stuck on here." Rose was appalled.

"Three months and he's been here this whole time, has he been sleeping or eating?" Jenny shook her head.

"I don't know how he's still standing. Your death must have short-circuited something inside his head." Rose clenched her teeth, a resolved look on her face.

"I fixed him once, I'm going to have to do it again."

"Why, what do you have planned?" Rose looked at her daughter, fear and determination spread across her face.

"I'm going inside his head."

* * *

"Everything all set?" Rose asked Jenny. Jenny nodded as she inserted the last wire into Rose's head.

"This would be so much easier if your roles were reversed. Dad knows how to enter other peoples' heads-"

"Just with his fingers. I know, he's done it once to me." At that moment she saw an adult Charity, her daughter who had never had a chance to grow up. But with the Doctor in his current non-mood, Rose and Jenny were forced to take a different route, using old Shansheeth technology to connect their minds through memories. She'd had to search Torchwood's database (with Jack's help), before they found the information in Sarah Jane's files that had been donated to Torchwood after her passing.

"Just think of your greatest defining memory, something that you and the Doctor can both connect on, and you should get inside." Rose had to think about that for a minute. There were so many to choose from. Like dancing in that old hospital room, their heartfelt moment on Women Wept, their reunion after her face had been stolen. But finally she went back to the beginning and found her moment, placing herself within the memory like it was happening again.

_"Derek, Derek is that you?" Rose stumbled backwards but caught herself at the last minute. The plastic dummies continued to advance on her, and for the briefest moment Rose feared for her life. Suddenly a strong hand grasped hers, and she turned to see who it was._

_ "Run!" The man said in a strong northern accent, and Rose didn't hesitate to obey. They ran down the corridor and continued to run for the rest of their lives..._

With that Rose felt herself inside the Doctor's mind. And she was shocked by what she found.

_It was nothing. Virtually nothing. As if everything had been wiped clean._

_ "Nothing is ever truly gone." A whisper of a familiar voice spoke. The Doctor had once said that. When had he said that? Oh yes, to Amy, the night before her wedding. That right there proved that there was still something left in here. Rose walked forward and continued to go deeper and deeper, distressed by the amount of emptiness she came across._

_ "Oh Doctor." How could he have done this to himself? He had lost her so many times before, why was this any different?_

_ "I failed her." came his voice suddenly from all sides. _

_ "You didn't fail me." Rose shouted in reply. "Just like every time, something came between us. I chose to save the world from the Daleks the first time. The second time you gave me a chance to be happy with John. And this time it was an evil that I couldn't stop on my own. If you hadn't poisoned me I would have gone on to be the most evil the universe had ever seen, destroying everything in my way. _

_ "I failed you." Still the voice persisted, and Rose forced herself to continue on._

_ Just as she was about to give up, suddenly she found where his memories had gone. The world around her exploded in light. There were no doors to keep his memories in, so everything poured out at once. Doctors and companions all around on different landscapes of different planets, ice worlds, desert worlds, space stations, the Roman Empire, the Victorian Era, the beginning and ending of the universe, hold on, were those dinosaurs on a spaceship? She caught different snippets of conversations in the air around her._

_ "One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine."_

_ "There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, and the sea's asleep, and the rivers dream; people made of smoke and cities made of song."_

_ "Coward. Any day."_

_ "I'm not running away from things, I am running to them. Before they flare and fade forever."_

_ "No more!"_

_ "Change, my dear. And it seems not a moment too soon!"_

_ "For some people, small, beautiful events are what life is all about!"_

_ "You know what? You'll always be my choice. Not because I feel guilty, but because I feel like the best man I can be when you're by my side. I always want to feel like that, and I never want it to end." _

_Rose couldn't stop tears flowing as she heard that last one. That was the moment the Doctor had helped her change her mind, to let go of John and travel with him on the TARDIS again. She had to physically force herself to concentrate on the matter at hand to keep herself from being lost in the memories, something easily done in a place like this._

_ "Okay, these are the memories, but where's the subconscious?" She needed to speak to him, to find out what had happened to make him become like this. She kept searching for her Doctor, but all she could see were snippets of a cravat, or a long scarf, a long tan coat or even a stick of celery. Wait, who was that one with the gray hair and black and red coat? She hadn't seen him before, and she thought she knew all his regenerations. Wibbily wobbily, as a special friend of her's once said.  
_

_ But still, no sign of any bowties, fezzes or stetsons. Where was he? She'd have to keep looking. And she'd look forever if that's what it would take. _

_ Rose sighed in frustration. It seemed like his subconscious was nowhere to be found. Or maybe he didn't want to be found. She feared that maybe her death had done damage that she couldn't fix, not this time. _

_ As she was thinking this she saw something that made her heart leap in joy. It was her Doctor, and how she found him made her grin in slight amusement. He was sitting at a table in a park playing chess with a robotic dog. And he seemed to be losing. Rose had to search her memories to remember the dog's name, who she recalled as belonging to Sarah Jane. K9, that was it._

_ "Doctor?" She came up to the Doctor, her heart unclenching with relief. If she could talk some sense into him, maybe she'd be able to get him out of this mess. But as she talked to him he refused to look up at her. "Doctor, can you hear me?" She feared the same damage was on the inside as on the outside. But finally he spoke, calming her fears._

_ "I can hear you."_

_ "Then why don't you look at me?"_

_ "Because it's too hard."_

_ "Why is it too hard?"_

_ "Because you're not really here." He moved his king over a space, wincing as he realised he made a mistake._

_ "Master, knight to E4." came the robotic voice of K9. The Doctor moved the piece for him._

_ "Of course I'm here, just look at me!"_

_ "No!" He cried suddenly, smashing his hand on the game board, sending pieces flying. Immediately they all reappeared in the same places and the Doctor continued his game as if nothing had happened. "You're everywhere inside my head, just look!" Rose did and saw what he was saying was true. A few feet away she saw herself and her pinstripe Doctor sitting on the grass watching as flying cars flew about their heads._

"That was our first date." _They giggled. To her right Rose saw another memory of her and her leather Doctor leaning against a brick wall, the day she'd lost her father the first time._

"Can we try again?"

_ To her left she saw herself and her newest Doctor standing with Jenny after he had proposed to her._

"None of that matters now. I love you, always have."

_ "Everywhere I look I see you, and it tears me apart, knowing I killed you."_

_ "But you didn't kill me, I merely put myself in a detoxification state to remove the poison."_

_ "You're just saying that. It's a defense mechanism, my brain trying to find some way to bring me out to the surface and move on. But I chose never to give myself the chance to go through that kind of pain again." Rose knelt down beside the Doctor's subconscious and put a hand on his leg. Still he refused to look at her._

_ "Why did you do this to yourself? Why are you depriving yourself and Jenny to move on, just like I had to let go of John and Charity?"_

_ "It was my fault."_

_ "It was my fault Charity died!" She collapsed into a sitting position as tears began to fall. Finally the Doctor looked at her._

_ "It wasn't your fault." He said quietly, confusion in his eyes. The lengths his brain was going to get him out...  
_

_ "Charity's death is just as much my fault as my death is yours! Except Charity's never coming back!" She let herself cry for the loss of her unborn daughter, but was startled when she felt the Doctor's arms around her._

_ "I'm sorry." He said. "But no matter what I do, you are dead to me, and I can't accept a life without you." With that he released her and returned to his game, still believing she wasn't really there. Rose was flabbergasted._

_ "Are you saying I didn't love Charity and John as much as you love me? That I could move on and find other things to keep me happy when you can't?"_

_ "No of course not. You were just stronger than I was." Rose stood up, anger flooding her being. Enough was enough._

_ "How can I prove to you that I'm really here, that I'm not part of this jumbled mess that is your head?" The Doctor didn't reply for a few minutes as he moved to sacrifice his queen to keep the king safe in a last desperate move to stay alive. Ironic. Finally he spoke._

_ "Do something the real Rose could do, not what I would think you would do, in here that is." Rose had to think on that one. She couldn't kiss him or beg any longer, he'd be expecting that as his own head's doing. Oh how she wanted to slap him until he saw stars, but he'd expect that too. Then she had an idea. All these fake Roses couldn't put his head back together. But she could. _

_ As she concentrated hard, her eyes began to brighten until the power of the Bad Wolf shined gold throughout her. She raised her hands in a sudden striking motion. Everything around the two of them burst away. Doors appeared in front of them and the memories began to sort themselves. All the memories of a man with an umbrella and a girl with explosives were shoved in a door marked 7. All the memories of a man with a recorder, a man with a Scottish kilt and a woman in a sparkling catsuit flew into the door with a 2 on it. Rose didn't bother to look, knowing her favorite memories with the Doctor sorted themselves into the 9, 10 and 11 doors. A couple terrible memories of war and bloodshed and a woman who looked a lot like herself but wasn't entered a door without a number on it. And a door that was barely visible stood off to the side with a new number, one that hadn't been used yet. 12. Timey Wimey._

_ Finally all that remained was Rose and the subconscious of the Doctor. Even the chess board and K9 were put behind the 4 door. The Doctor stared at Rose incredulously, as if everything he had believed in was crumbling. Technically it was.  
_

_ "R-Rose...?" He stood up slowly and walked forward. Rose couldn't stop the tears streaming down her face as she grinned._

_ "My Doctor. It's me. I came back." Without another word the Doctor threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly._

_ "I thought I had lost you forever."_

_ "I made a promise a long time ago that I was never going to leave you. Speaking of which." She pulled back and smacked the Doctor across the cheek, sending him reeling. He rubbed his quickly-reddening cheek ruefully._

_ "That's for putting Jenny through hell while I was gone. If ever something like this happens again, you need to promise me you'll be there for her!" She stretched her hand out, readying herself for another slap. The Doctor backed up warily._

_ "I promise, I promise, just don't hit me again!" Rose lowered her hand and began to laugh. The Doctor joined in with her but was suddenly cut off as Rose threw herself on him, kissing him passionately. The Doctor dug at her just as desperately, and the world around them began to fade..._

Both the Doctor and Rose gasped as they woke up. The first thing Rose saw was Jenny staring at them expectantly.

"Well, did it work?" At her words the Doctor looked up and gave her a big kiss on her forehead. Jenny's face relaxed and she grinned.

"Does that answer your question?" Suddenly her look changed as she scowled, remembering the last three months of torture, seeing her father void of all life. Before the Doctor could dodge her hand, another slap rang out in the room.

"Blimey, three generations of Tyler slaps."

"Don't you ever do that to me again! Not only had I lost my mother I had to deal with losing my father as well!" She began to cry as a release of all the pent-up feelings she had held back for too long.

"Oh, my girl, I'm so sorry." The Doctor embraced her. "I didn't know what I was doing. I pulled away because I was weak and selfish. I promise it won't happen again." He held his daughter as she cried into his shoulder. Rose could feel her own eyes tearing up as she watched. Finally Jenny was able to get a hold of herself and she let go of her father.

"Well, I guess you two probably want some alone time." She said as she rubbed her eyes with her fingers to wipe away the extra moisture. "I need to make a phone call anyway." She pulled her cell phone out as she left the room.

"Who is she calling, who does she know to call?" The Doctor went to follow her but stopped, remembering what had happened inside his head. "Rose, we need to talk."

"Not about you I hope. I'm sure you've finally gotten it straight in your head what will happen if you ever pull something like that again."

"No, no, never again. I get it." He motioned for her to sit next to him on the examination table. "I meant about Charity. You still blame yourself for her death." She went to stand up but the Doctor pulled her back down.

"Now is not the time-"

"We need to deal with this now, Rose. You can't keep putting yourself through this kind of torture. I thought you told me you were done blaming yourself over her death."

"Well, I lied okay? It's not that easy when every waking minute I see her face in my head, the one you showed me, alive and well in that other universe. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see her happy and fully grown, but I just wish I wouldn't have been thinking only of myself when I was pregnant with her."

"You weren't thinking of yourself. You did the exact same thing I did. When you lost John, your whole world was over, nothing else mattered, not even your daughter. I didn't understand that fully before, but I do now. There was nothing more you could have done."

"I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you earlier then, shouldn't I?"

"You had every right. But for now, I need to know that, if Charity were here now, what would she say to you?"

"She...she'd tell me that everything would be okay. That it wasn't my fault, that everything that happened was beyond my control. The greatest thing she would want for me is to be happy, to let you and Jenny fill the hole left behind by her and John."

"And do you believe her?" It took her a minute to answer.

"I...I do."

* * *

**That feels like a good place to end this, but I felt there were still a few more things to clear up, like who Jenny's new 'friend' is and how the Doctor will react when he finds out...so just the epilogue left :) Also, I didn't want Rose's 'ressurection' to be overly dramatic, Heaven knows that's been done enough (however much headcanon it is). So rather than magically coming back to life, she just woke up from a comatose-like sleep that appeared as being dead. She is the Bad Wolf after all. Please review!  
**


	7. Chapter Six - A New Beginning

**So sorry! This week was crazy! Also, I'm reading "An Abundance of Katherines". Not as good as TFioS by miles, but still, it occupies most of my time haha :D This gets awfully domestic, but I figured it was okay since it wasn't technically the Doctor's personal life. You'll understand when you read.  
**

* * *

**Epilogue - A New Beginning, for All of Us**

"_Family. Like branches on a tree, we all grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one." ~Author Unknown._

Just a few days after Rose came back from the dead and she saved the Doctor from his 'non emotion' state, Jenny told her father what she had wanted to tell him for a really long time.

He hadn't taken it well. Rose had been forced to pull him to a different room while they discussed it.

"But Rose, he'll just take her away from me!"

"You're depriving her the chance to find the love that you and I share, would you deny her that?" He lowered his head sadly.

"It's Susan and David all over again."

"No, it's not. Tahn's not going to steal her away, he's going to travel with us for a while, remember? Then she's going to spend a few months on his planet and meet his family, experience life on his planet. And we'll never lose touch with her like Susan, alright?" He didn't reply. "Alright?"

"Alright." That was a victory right there, but Rose knew there was one thing left to say.

"Doctor, I know it's a hard subject to talk about, but the Cetlyk vampires put him in the pure room with Jenny, meaning there's not an ounce of evil inside him." The Doctor had stiffened when he heard the name of those accursed monsters. "Promise me you'll be nice to Tahn."

"I'll promise not to throw him out into a supernova. I can't promise any more than that." Rose scowled at him, but the Doctor only scowled back.

* * *

But the Doctor had done what Rose asked of him and was nice to Tahn over the next two months he traveled with Jenny and her parents through time and space. And when they were ready they had the Doctor and Rose drop them off on the Ristan home world. Jenny waved goodbye as Rose promised to be back in six months. They figured half a year would be long enough for Jenny to educate and immerse herself in Tahn's culture as well as get fully acquainted with his family. She promised to call if anything went wrong.

"Even if it's just a broken fingernail." The Doctor insisted, to which Jenny just laughed and told him to get going and enjoy some alone time with his new wife. The events surrounding the proposal went like this...

_One night the two of them sat in the Gallifrey Re-creation room, staring down at the Citadel, in the same place where the Doctor had invited Rose to travel with him a second time that night that felt like such a long, long time ago now. Rose had been letting her thoughts drift as the beat of his two hearts nearly lulled her to sleep. She began to think on how complete she felt in the Doctor's presence. With a start she realised she hadn't felt this good since being married to John. In her head she could see him plainly, standing in front of them, smiling at her as he faded away. This was what he wanted after all. For her to be happy._

_"Doctor?" She said suddenly, startling the time lord, who had nearly fallen asleep too._

_"What is it?"_

_"I...I think I'm ready."_

_"Ready for what?" He dared not to believe it, he wanted to be sure, to hear it from her lips before he began to hope._

_"I think I'm ready to get married." The Doctor couldn't keep back a chuckle. Of all his reactions she hadn't expected that. She was a bit miffed._

_"What's so funny?"_

_"Rose, that is no way to propose."_

_"What, you think...I'm not..." She stammered, then realised it wouldn't do any good, not when he was in one of his 'moods'. "So, what, you want a real proposal?"_

_"I deserve it, don't I, having to wait all this time?"_

_"You, waiting? How dare you!" She wanted to snap at him further, before she reeled herself in. Still, the audacity in saying that he was the one who had waited when it was her who held on all this time, since he wore blue eyes, short-cropped hair and leather in fact. Sure, he'd had to wait a few months recently, but she was going through some things then. So she proposed. The Doctor stood up while Rose knelt down in front of him and asked him to marry her._

_"Sorry, I don't have a ring." She apologized in a joking manner.  
_

_"Well, good thing I came prepared then." Rose stood up, a shocked look on her face as the Doctor pulled a ring-sized box out of his pocket._

_"How long have you had that?" She whispered, savouring this moment._

_"A few months, just before I proposed to you actually. I knew you'd come around eventually. Made it myself." With that he opened it and Rose gasped. A beautiful shining ruby sat inside a gold rose setting. The two of them were silent as the Doctor slipped the gorgeous ring on her finger, right next to the silver band that had marked her wedding to John._

_"I can have them fused together if you'd like." He said about the two rings._

_"I'd like that." She said, tears filling her eyes._

_"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made you propose. After all, it was you that to go through all that heartache until you decided you were ready."_

_"I didn't mind really, but I'll only forgive you if you kiss me." The two of them grinned at that, Rose with her signature tongue poking out, and the Doctor's bright enough to dazzle a star implosion._

_"Cheeky woman." He whispered as he bent down to kiss her soundly._

_They had a quiet affair inside the garden room of the TARDIS with Jenny acting as witness as well as a priest they had hired to perform the ceremony. Even Jack and River had showed up, returning the favor as the Doctor and Rose had attended their own wedding._

The six months went by agonizingly slow for those on the TARDIS, as Rose forced the Doctor to wait the same amount of time as Jenny and Tahn. The Doctor had also objected to that, but as always, he obeyed his queen.

* * *

When the time had finally come to return, Jenny had another surprise. As she waited for the TARDIS to appear, she felt Tahn squeeze her hand reassuringly. She looked up into the dark, tanned face of her boyfriend. He was tall, nearly six foot and thin as a pole, with spots running down the sides of his face and arms. He looked sort of Arabian in Earth standards and spoke with a strong alien accent.

"He'll understand."

"No, I don't think he will. He's always been afraid of losing me, and seeing me like this, well...he'll know I'm never going back. And he'll be furious when he puts two and two together and realises it...'happened' when you were traveling with us." She remembered that amazing night. It was a month after Tahn had first started traveling with them. Jenny hadn't figured out she was pregnant until after her parents dropped them off at Rista. The one month on the TARDIS and the six months here made her seven months along, but she suspected her pregnancy would be different because she was part time lord. Another thing she had to discuss with her father. She bit her lip in worry.

Finally when the whooshing noise of the TARDIS resounded around them and the blue box faded into view in front of them, she forced herself to wait until she saw her mum and dad step out the doors. When Rose saw what state she was in, she cried out happily. The Doctor was the complete opposite.

"Rose, tell me they...they didn't!" Rose had to grab him by the shoulders to keep him from attacking Tahn. The Ristan backed away fearfully.

"Dad, no it's okay." She put a hand on her enlarged belly, wincing as the child within kicked at her touch. "It's going to be a girl." She came up to Rose. "We wanted to name her Charity, if that's alright with you." Rose smiled, nodding.

"Of course. I'm sure she would be proud to have her niece named after her." She hugged Jenny, leaning out to acknowledge her baby bump. The Doctor still shook in anger, glaring at Tahn.

"Mum, Dad, we'd also like your blessing on our upcoming marriage."

"You're damn right you're getting married." The Doctor couldn't keep back his annoyance at the whole situation. Jenny sighed in exasperation.

"Mum?"

"Yes of course dear. We give our blessing."

"Also, we'd love it if you guys would stay here until the baby's born, live here on Rista with us, meet Tahn's parents, see how we live. You guys are going to love it! In fact, Tahn's parents want to thank you dad for saving him and his sister Rin from...the...the you know what." Jenny and Rose both learned from experience not to mention anything close to the word 'vampire' around the Doctor. "Well, anyway, they're throwing a massive feast for you tonight!" Rose readily agreed to come, while the Doctor stood there, refusing to say a word. Rose promised Jenny he'd come around eventually.

* * *

Because the Doctor was still adjusting to the whole idea of everything, Rose suggested they stay in the TARDIS that night. Rose could tell he was upset over what had happened and the suspicion that Jenny wouldn't come back to the TARDIS ever again, but she didn't think it warranted discussion.

"Let's go to bed. You haven't slept in over four days." The Doctor nodded, suddenly feeling tired at her suggestion. The feast Tahn's parents had thrown for him had gone well, if not slightly boring, and he knew this was going to be a long few months until Jenny gave birth. Just the thought of Jenny having his granddaughter made him feel older than he had ever felt before.

* * *

That night Rose tossed and turned, unable to get to sleep. Why was she having difficulty sleeping, she wasn't stressed or worried, was she?

When she finally got to sleep, she felt a strange sensation, just like when her mind had entered the Doctor's...

_Rose was standing inside her own mind. The doors holding back all her memories stayed shut like they were supposed to. But why was she here?_

_ Rose blinked as a woman appeared in front of her. She had long wavy brown hair and ice blue eyes. Rose knew exactly who this woman was._

_ "Charity." She gasped. Hadn't she finally put the past behind her? "How are you here?" This had to be an alternate version of her daughter, but that seemed almost as impossible as it being her own daughter._

_ "It's a risidual effect of the time link you used on the Doctor."_

_ "But you're not really my daughter, and your mother's not really me."_

_ "That's true, but you're just as much my mother as my own is, in a manner of speaking." Rose turned away, unable to look at the thing she couldn't have any longer._

_ "I can't keep holding on to you Charity, it hurts too much." She felt a soft touch on her shoulder, and looked up into Charity's eyes. She was tall like her father, Rose noticed._

_ "But you haven't really let me go, have you? Jenny naming her baby after me brings up all that pain again." Rose didn't want to, but she was forced to agree._

_ "But it's not just that. I can never have children again because of the complications of the miscarriage. I'll never have a chance to make up for everything that went wrong."_

_ "That's not true. You have the Doctor, and you have Jenny. And you'll have another Charity to watch over too." Rose sighed, finally turning around to face the image of her daughter.  
_

_ "So...how are you doing then? How did me and you get along without John?" She remembered the image the Doctor had shown her with her and Charity standing over John's grave. He had aged just as the Doctor said he would, but Charity and Rose were cursed with long lives, thanks to their added Gallifreyan genes.  
_

_ "Oh mum, I miss dad so much sometimes, I can barely breathe. But we have each other, you and me, and we're doing okay. The piece of our TARDIS finally grew enough so we didn't have to stay on Earth anymore. It was difficult seeing Jackie, Pete, Tony and the rest of our friends and family age, so it was for the better that we left."_

_ "Rose and Charity in the TARDIS."_

_ "As it should be." Rose embraced her daughter one last time, knowing this was the final time she would let go, for good._

_ "Be safe my precious baby girl."_

_ "I will mum. And you won't let Jenny and her daughter down, not even once. I promise."_

_ "C-can you say it one more time, call me mother?" Hearing Charity call her mum filled something inside her she didn't know she was missing._

_ "Of course. I love you mother."_

Rose sat up suddenly as the dream ended. A smile came over her face as she watched her husband sound asleep beside her. She chuckled as he let out a soft snore. She laid back down and said goodbye to her daughter for the last time.

* * *

The Doctor had been sitting on the couch with his arms crossed over his chest for over twenty minutes now. He was sick and tired of this place, and it showed on his face. Rose would call it 'pouting', but he'd retort that "time lords didn't 'pout'." He'd have taken Rose and left long ago, but it would have broken Jenny's hearts, and that was the very last thing he wanted.

Five long months. 153 agonizingly boring days filled with baby talk. What to do for the baby shower, how best to get the right kind of formula, what color would look best in the wallpaper of the baby's room. Not only that, but the preparations for Jenny and Tahn's wedding after the baby was born made things even more domestic. Horrifically so.

He let his head fall backwards until it hit the back of the couch, wincing as the contact made the back of his head throb. If the safety of his daughter and her daughter wouldn't be put at risk, he'd do anything for a Silurian or Zygon or _anything_ to spice things up. At least when it was the year of the cubes back when Rory and Amy traveled with him, he could come and go as he pleased. Not here. One step towards the lever of the TARDIS that would send it into the vortex and Rose would have his head._  
_

"Dad?" The Doctor immediately uncrossed his arms and sat up as his daughter came into the room. She was waddling slightly due to her immense size, and the Doctor realised her due date must be coming up very soon. In the back of his (still throbbing) head he remembered Rose saying something along the line of 'days' in fact. He scooted over to make room for her on the couch. She had to go slowly and when she finally got down with her father's help, she had to readjust herself until she was finally comfortable.

"Can we talk?" Jenny asked wearily. The Doctor suddenly realised how much of a strain all of this had to be on her. When children weren't loomed as they normally were on his planet, Gallifreyan pregnancies were on average longer than human ones, and Jenny's genes caused her pregnancy to be twelve months rather than the usual nine. He felt guilty, but he didn't let it show in his words.

"Took you so long to get here, it'd be a shame not to." Jenny laughed, before wincing and trying to get the little one inside her to settle down. It felt different that time, but she ignored it as her daughter's restlessness.

"Dad, in all seriousness, you know I'm not coming back to the TARDIS right?" The Doctor hung his head.

"Yes, Rose has been trying to get me used to the idea, but...why can't you just bring your family for at least a little while?"

"Dad, you know it's too dangerous, much too dangerous for a child. When she's older maybe, but right now, I'd be devastated if anything happened to my family." She stopped herself just in time before she brought up what had happened to Amy, Rory and Melody. This was absolutely no time to talk about that. Actually there was no good time to talk about that.

"Okay. I guess you're right." The Doctor agreed. He leaned out to hug his daughter.

"Ugh." Jenny sighed as she leaned back. "I hate you so much right now for your genes making me pregnant for a whole bloody year!" She looked over at her father. "I know it hasn't been the most enjoyable time for you being stuck here."

"No, it's been..." He couldn't even think of a _nice_ word for it. Jenny chuckled.

"It's okay. I know Rista isn't the most fun place in the universe." Rista wasn't uncultured, a bit further than Earth in the 21st century in fact, but still, there were things Jenny wished were different. But her husband had grown up here, and she would gladly call it her home too.

"Jenny, as long as you love it, I'll be happy. You won't mind me and Rose visiting you guys often?"

"Of course not." She went to say something else but suddenly she gasped, placing her hands on her stomach.

"What, what is it?" Jenny looked over at the Doctor, fear on her face.

"The baby, it's coming!" The Doctor leapt up.

"No, no it can't, Rose isn't here!" She was currently out with Tahn discussing 'fatherly' techniques that the Doctor refused to talk with him about. Oh if only he had! He'd delivered babies before, but because it was his daughter his brain had short-circuited, making him forget everything he ever knew.

"Dad, get some water and towels, quickly, I don't think I can make it to the hospital!" The Doctor dashed away. While he was gone Jenny placed herself on her back. She screamed as another contraction hit her, and that brought the Doctor back faster.

"I wish Tahn was here." She gasped as the Doctor prepared her for birth.

"We'll do this together girl. I'm right here." He grabbed her hand to demonstrate. Jenny smiled gratefully at him, before she gripped his hand so tight the Doctor winced and she let out another blood-curdling scream.

"I hate you so much right now!" She yelled in between screams. "If I was human this would have happened months ago! I hate you so much!"

"Yes I know. But first let's have this baby!"

* * *

After a few hours when Jenny finally did have her baby, the Doctor couldn't help but fall in love with his dark-skinned granddaughter. He volunteered to hold Charity while Jenny took some much-needed sleep. By this time Tahn and Rose had returned, and the former promptly fainted. Rose sighed and stepped over him to see her new granddaughter. She fell in love with the loving look on the Doctor's face.

"I'm a grandfather again Rose. I'd never have believed it." He grinned as the child in his arms cooed and reached up for his bowtie. "Yes it is cool, finally someone agrees with me." Rose smiled, reaching over to let Charity grab her finger. Charity even had some of her father's spots on the sides of her head that made her look adorable.

"I always thought your bowtie was cool."

"But you never say it."

"Because it doesn't need saying." The Doctor's eyes snapped back to her, realising what she was referring to.

"Rose I-"

"No, I said it doesn't need saying. It never has." She took Charity from the Doctor's arms and placed the baby into her crib that the Doctor had built two weeks ago. It was one of the only things he had enjoyed while he was stuck here. It even had a mobile filled with planets and stars that spun around Charity's head. "Now come on Doctor, we need to wake Tahn up, then we'll go shopping for wedding presents." The Doctor groaned. He hated shopping just as much as he hated the Daleks. Perhaps more.

* * *

Rose laughed at the expression on his face as she pulled him to the TARDIS. Finally she had pity on him.

"Why don't you tell me what you want to give them and I'll pick it out for you. Meanwhile you can tinker on the TARDIS while you wait." The Doctor let out a sigh of relief.

"That would be brilliant. Thank you." He gave his wife a quick peck on the lips. Some alone time with his ship was just what the Doctor ordered.

* * *

The Doctor landed the TARDIS on Earth in London, in the spring of 2013. He bade Rose goodbye while she went out shopping for wedding gifts. After she had gone the Doctor paced inside the TARDIS, forgetting the fact that he was supposed to tinker with his ship. Instead worrying thoughts filled his head. Maybe he should have gone with her. He hated waiting just as much as shopping. But what if something were to happen to her? Maybe he should-

He was interrupted as the phone on the outside of the TARDIS began to ring.

"What the...how are you ringing? No one has this number, not even Rose." Bad things always happened whenever that phone rang. He picked up the phone and listened while a woman talked. A woman who sounded familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it exactly. Finally he exclaimed.

"What? You called me because you can't find the internet?"

* * *

Rose sighed in pleasure as she hefted her bag of items higher on her shoulder. Nothing like a day of relaxation by shopping for her daughter and soon to be son-in-law. She'd even picked up a few things for Charity, and that made her the most excited. But she still had one thing left to get, and she couldn't find it anywhere. It was a specific brand of a toaster oven, just like the one Jackie had bought for their small household when Rose was nine. It was perfect for making easy yet good-tasting snacks for the evening, and Rose wanted to show Jenny a few recipes she had learned from her own mother. Jenny had never met Jackie, and Rose wanted this to be the thing that would connect the three of them together.

_"Maybe if I search for it online, it'll tell me the closest place to find it. Or maybe I could order it and have it delivered to Donna's house."_ She entered an internet café and plopped down in front of one of the laptops. Using her foot she edged her bags further under the glass table and began to get on a web browser, when she realised the internet had accidentally disconnected.

"Wi-fi...where's the wi-fi...oh there it is!" She clicked on the bottom tab and watched as three network connections popped up. Her mouse moved slowly over the three until it reached the top one etched with strange symbols. She clicked on it, and before she knew what was happening...

"Doctor, I don't know where I am! Help, Doctor!"

**THE END**

* * *

**There you have it! I was planning to end here, but one reviewer said something that interested the muse (no! Bad muse! *sigh*). But it probably won't happen, at least for a really long time. As for me posting anything else...it probably won't be for a long while too. Stone Heart's sequel is slow going and The Black Rose (summary on profile), is strong but it's still sloppy and needs a lot of cleaning up, plus it's not even done yet. Probably what will be next is the third and final installment to the "Twisted" series (after Twisted Words and Twisted Actions, both as one story on my profile). The third, unlike one and two, will be solely in the Torchwood category, I suggest you might want to read those next (warning, they are probably the darkest things I've ever written, so beware of that). Thanks so much those who stuck with this, I love you forever! Please review!  
**

**~Katy**


End file.
